A Newark man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for his role in a carjacking in which a firearm was brandished, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Federal officials said Jared Walker, 24, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to a three-count indictment charging him with carjacking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 6, 2020, the driver of a 2008 Ford E-350 van was carjacked at gunpoint in Newark. Walker approached the van, which was parked in Newark, and drove it away while the victim was still inside.
Walker brandished a firearm during the carjacking. The victim ultimately escaped from the vehicle, and Walker was apprehended a short time later. When law enforcement recovered the gun, officers discovered that it was loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition.
In 2015, Walker was convicted of unlawful possession of a handgun in New Jersey Superior Court – a felony offense – and is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Walker to four years of supervised release.