South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana Byline: Shane M. Jones Dateline: New Orleans, Louisiana Date: 27 February 2024 Subjects: American Government , Crime

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on February 20, 2024, ONIS WASHINGTON, age 25, a resident of South Carolina, pled guilty to committing a carjacking, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119, before U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey. WASHINGTON faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.00. WASHINGTON’s sentencing is scheduled for May 28, 2024.

On January 2, 2022, in the 1000 block of Carondelet Street, WASHINGTON and his co-defendant forcefully stole a car from the victim and fled in the stolen vehicle. Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans Police Department tracked and located the vehicle, but it refused to stop. Following a chase, WASHINGTON and his co-defendant hit several vehicles and crashed the stolen vehicle, before fleeing on foot. WASHINGTON was later arrested in South Carolina.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case  is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.

Shane M. Jones

Public Information Officer

United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

United States Department of Justice

Updated February 27, 2024