A Chicago man has admitted guilt in federal court for carjacking three vehicles in August 2022 within the West Englewood neighborhood. Jamari Edwards, 22, acknowledged in his plea agreement that he committed the carjackings at gunpoint and shot one victim.
The incidents began with a carjacking at a coffee shop drive-thru, while the subsequent carjackings took place outside a convenience store at a gas station. In each crime, Edwards threatened drivers with a gun and demanded their car keys. During the coffee shop carjacking, despite the driver handing over the keys and leaving the vehicle, Edwards shot the driver in the leg. Prior to firing, Edwards reportedly asked the driver, “Why are you not scared?”
Having pleaded guilty to federal carjacking and firearm charges, Edwards now faces a mandatory minimum of 17 years in federal prison, with a potential maximum of life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for August 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., presided over by U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins.
The announcement of the guilty plea was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Steindorf will represent the government in the case.
