East St. Louis, Ill. - Armon R. Simpson, 18, and Jamariante N. Burgess, 19, both of East St. Louis,
Illinois, have been charged by superseding indictment with Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking,
Carjacking, and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Both men have been
ordered detained pending trial.
According to court documents, between July 12, 2021, and August 5, 2021, Simpson, Burgess, and
others, conspired to commit armed carjackings, including three carjackings in the
Eastern District of Missouri and the Southern District of Illinois. The final carjacking prior to
their arrest occurred on August 5, 2021. Burgess and Simpson approached a vehicle in downtown Saint
Louis, Missouri, displayed firearms at the passengers, and forcibly took their vehicle. Afterwards,
they fled to East St. Louis, Illinois, where they shot a man walking in an apartment complex and
then discarded the stolen vehicle.
If convicted, Simpson and Burgess face up to 15 years imprisonment on the Carjacking charge, 5
years for Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking, and an additional sentence of 7 years for Using a
Firearm during a Crime of Violence, which must run consecutive to all other sentences.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty
beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of
the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program
proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders
work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and
develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement
efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry
programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG),
the East St. Louis Police Department, Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and Saint Louis County Police Department. PSEG is a newly formed Illinois State Police unit embedded in
and working in direct partnership with the East St. Louis Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Alexandria Burns is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
