Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking

A Tennessee man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for a Memphis carjacking and using a firearm during the robbery.  His co-defendant in the robbery was previously sentenced to over nine years in prison.

According to court documents, during the early morning hours of April 9, 2024, Jadakiss Johnson, 23, and his co-defendant Tyrone White participated in a carjacking of the victim’s 2023 Toyota Camry at gunpoint. Johnson was the driver of the vehicle and once they arrived, White approached the victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the Camry, pointed a gun at her and ordered her to get out of the vehicle. Later, when confronted by police, Johnson fled in a different car and on foot. Upon a search of Johnson’s getaway car, police found multiple firearms and a machinegun-conversion device.

Johnson is prohibited from possessing firearms based upon prior felony violent convictions and is considered a career offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for numerous aggravated assault convictions.

On Aug. 25, Johnson pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a carjacking and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the carjacking. White previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a carjacking and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the carjacking and was sentenced on Oct. 30 to over nine years in prison.

At Johnson’s sentencing hearing, the United States presented evidence of the defendant’s violent behavior while in custody, including assaulting another inmate, as well as his repeated access to firearms before his arrest for this crime.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nashville Division  made the announcement.

The ATF and the Memphis Police Department investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Brittenum for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state and federal law enforcement. This joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute violent gang members and other violent criminals in Memphis.