U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark has handed down a 130-month prison sentence to Ahdaejay Britton for his role in a violent carjacking incident that occurred in St. Louis in 2023. Britton, a 20-year-old from Bel-Ridge, was involved in the crime along with a juvenile accomplice.
The incident took place on May 8, 2023, when Britton and the juvenile observed a victim driving a Mazda 3 into a parking garage on Lindell Boulevard. They decided to steal the vehicle. Britton followed the victim to the stairwell, assaulted him, and pointed a handgun at him, demanding his keys, cell phone, and wallet. After obtaining the items, Britton handed the keys over to the juvenile, who drove away in the stolen vehicle.
Authorities later found the car on New Halls Ferry Road, with the juvenile in the driver's seat. Britton was located nearby. Inside the vehicle, police discovered the victim’s phone and a .45-caliber semiautomatic firearm.
Britton admitted guilt to charges of carjacking and possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. This admission occurred last year in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and local communities. The Department of Justice relaunched a strategy for reducing violent crime on May 26, 2021, emphasizing trust-building, support for community organizations, strategic enforcement priorities, and effective measurement of results.
