A man from St. Louis has confessed to involvement in multiple criminal activities, including a carjacking and a shooting. Darnell L. Clemons, aged 38, admitted his guilt in the U.S. District Court located in St. Louis on Tuesday. He faced charges of one count of carjacking, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
The incidents span several years. On May 16, 2018, Clemons participated in the armed carjacking of a restaurant manager in University City, Missouri. The stolen items included her 2015 Toyota Corolla, cash, and phone. In another incident on July 29, 2021, Clemons shot an individual at a convenience store after his nephew attempted to steal that person's gun.
Further actions were noted on August 4, 2021. After an apparent shootout with unknown individuals in St. Louis's O’Fallon neighborhood, Clemons entered through a stranger’s window with an empty stolen pistol found later by police.
Clemons was arrested on December 8, 2021, for outstanding warrants when officers discovered him possessing a loaded Glock with a large capacity drum magazine.
Clemons is set for sentencing on April 24.
Multiple agencies contributed to the investigation: the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the University City Police Department; the Florissant Police Department; and the St. Louis County Crime Lab. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Matthew Martin are managing prosecution efforts.
This case aligns with Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities they serve.
