A Tennessee man, Jadakiss Johnson, 23, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following his involvement in an armed carjacking that took place in Memphis. The sentencing follows Johnson’s guilty plea to aiding and abetting both a carjacking and the use of a firearm during the incident. His co-defendant, Tyrone White, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced on October 30 to more than nine years in prison.
Court documents reveal that on April 9, 2024, Johnson and White carried out the carjacking of a 2023 Toyota Camry at gunpoint. Johnson drove to the scene while White approached the victim—who was sitting in her vehicle—pointed a gun at her, and ordered her out. Afterward, when police confronted Johnson, he attempted to escape using another car and then fled on foot. Authorities searching his getaway vehicle discovered several firearms along with a device designed to convert weapons into machine guns.
Johnson is legally barred from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions for violent offenses. He is classified as a career offender under federal guidelines because of multiple aggravated assault convictions.
During Johnson’s sentencing hearing, federal prosecutors presented evidence of his violent conduct while in custody—including an assault on another inmate—and highlighted his continued access to firearms before his arrest.
"Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nashville Division made the announcement."
The case was investigated by both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Memphis Police Department. Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Brittenum for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted this case.
This prosecution forms part of an ongoing Violent Crime Initiative led by federal authorities in partnership with local law enforcement agencies in Memphis. The initiative aims to combat violent crime by applying federal statutes against gang members and other violent offenders within the city.
