Estifanos Kumssa, a 26-year-old resident of Nashville, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 260 months in federal prison after being convicted by a jury on two counts of carjacking and two counts of possessing and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The sentencing was announced by Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“This defendant was already released on bond in state court for a violent crime when he committed more violence, so it was critically important for us to step up to protect our community,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “This conviction and the serious sentence he received should illustrate our commitment to prosecuting violent offenders to the fullest extent and holding them accountable so they can’t victimize anyone else in our community.”
Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office stated, "The FBI works closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to make sure those bringing violence to our streets are held accountable. We will continue working together to make our communities a safe place to live, work, and raise a family."
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake added, “Criminal defendants on pre-trial release who continue to victimize our community must be held accountable. Our police department and the United States Attorney’s Office are watching closely for those situations, especially violent scenarios, and are working together to take appropriate action whenever possible.”
The incidents occurred on May 30, 2019. According to authorities, Kumssa first approached an Uber driver waiting in his car in Antioch, Tennessee. He used a pink and black handgun during the confrontation before stealing the vehicle along with an accomplice. Surveillance footage confirmed Kumssa's identity through distinctive clothing seen at both the scene and at his arrest.
Later that day at another location on Murfreesboro Pike, Kumssa targeted two more victims during another carjacking incident. After demanding keys from one victim at gunpoint while another waited nearby, he fled with his accomplice in the stolen vehicle. Law enforcement located the vehicle soon after using BOLO alerts; officers stopped it with spike strips before apprehending Kumssa following a brief pursuit.
Prior records show that Kumssa had previously been convicted of three state felonies related to auto burglary and carjacking between 2017 and early 2018. At the time these latest offenses were committed, he was out on pre-trial release facing an indictment for Especially Aggravated Robbery in Davidson County Circuit Court.
After serving his prison term for these federal convictions—which include two counts each of carjacking and brandishing a firearm—Kumssa will be subject to three years of supervised release.
The investigation involved cooperation among several agencies: Federal Bureau of Investigation (Nashville Field Office), Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, as well as assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Petro and Joshua Kurtzman prosecuted this case.
