Five Sentenced in Violent Carjacking Spree Involving Seven Carjackings in Four Counties |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia
19 November 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATLANTA – Ladarious Gibbs, Derek C. Turner, Andre Clark, Brandon Washington, and Raphael Banks have been sentenced to federal prison for a series of violent armed carjackings in the Atlanta area.
“The defendants’ crimes were alarmingly violent,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Horn. “These young men preyed upon the citizens of our community. A carjacking is a jarring event alone, but a string of them instills fear and unease throughout the entire community. We hope the long sentences here restore a sense of safety and send a message to anyone who might think of committing this type of crime.”
J. Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated, “These individuals, through their unified criminal acts, were responsible for a significant violent crime spike in and around the City of Atlanta. It is cases such as this that really do require the combined efforts and resources of law enforcement working together and across jurisdictional boundaries to get these violent offenders off of our streets and into prison.”
“These violent repeat offenders, who are responsible for many crimes throughout the Metro Atlanta, will now be held responsible for their heinous actions,” said Atlanta Police Chief George Turner. “Our partnership efforts with the FBI as well as Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb and Cobb Counties and other law enforcement agencies prove that joint efforts lead to successful outcomes.”
According to United States Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: Between December 29, 2012, and January 18, 2013, the defendants committed at least seven carjackings in Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb Counties. During several of the robberies, the defendants pointed guns at the victims and threatened to kill them. The defendants then robbed victims of their cars, personal belongings, cash and cellular telephones. One of the victims was a pregnant woman who suffered pre-term labor as a result of her carjacking and had to be hospitalized. One of the defendants was apprehended following a 100-mile-per-hour chase through downtown Atlanta that endangered dozens of innocent people.
A federal grand jury indicted the defendants on May 20, 2014. Gibbs, Turner, Clark, and Washington pleaded guilty to carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Banks pleaded guilty to being an accessory to the crimes. The men received the following sentences:
Ladarious Gibbs, a/k/a, “Lil D,” 24, of Atlanta, Georgia was sentenced to 30 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $29,080.68.
Derek C.Turner, a/k/a, “Snoop,” 22, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 27 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $29,080.68.
Andre Clark, a/k/a, “Yammy,” 23, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1428.
Brandon Washington, a/k/a, “Lil B,” 21, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Raphael Banks, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500.