Reagan T. Fondren Acting United States Attorney for the Western District Of Tennessee | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee
A man from Memphis has admitted guilt to charges linked to a carjacking incident that occurred in May 2024. The announcement was made by Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., the Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Court records revealed that on May 16, 2024, Jaylen Simpson, aged 23, hid in the backyard of a Memphis resident. He confronted the homeowner outside, shooting him in the stomach before seizing the resident’s car keys and fleeing in a 2017 Kia Cadenza parked in the driveway.
Following the carjacking, officers from the Memphis Police Department (MPD) pursued Simpson after locating him and the stolen vehicle. Simpson abandoned the car and escaped on foot but was later captured by the police, who discovered a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his backpack.
On April 15, 2025, after jury selection commenced, Simpson pleaded guilty to federal charges of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury and using a firearm during a crime of violence. His sentencing is set for July 16, 2025, and he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for firing the weapon, with potential for a life sentence. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge in accordance with the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
This case is associated with Project Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative involving various levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and increase neighborhood safety. On May 26, 2021, the program's crime reduction strategy was reinforced, focusing on building community trust and legitimacy, supporting organizations that prevent violence, setting clear enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in collaboration with the MPD Violent Crime Unit, conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy from the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hall from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
For further information, interested parties may contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Updates are also available from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews.
