Parties Negotiate Global Plea Deal for Carjacking Defendant

By Laura Berol - October 22, 2024
Carjacking | Court | Daily Stories | Suspects |

A defense attorney asked DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Oct. 21 to schedule a future hearing date, by which time the defense hopes to agree on a plea deal with the prosecutor.

Caleb Johnson is charged with armed carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in an incident that occurred on Jan. 12 on the 4400 block of Hunt Place, NE. 

Johnson is currently 26 or 27 years old. Court documents list two possible birthdates for him. 

According to arrest documents, surveillance camera footage captured an individual, later identified as Johnson, punching a victim in the face and stealing his truck while another suspect threatened the victim with a gun.

“We are going to waive the preliminary hearing,” Chidi Ogolo, Johnson’s defense attorney, told Judge Salerno. “We are trying to resolve all the cases.”

Neither party indicated what specific cases are included in the plea offer.

“The plea offer, which is a global offer to plead guilty to carjacking and dismiss all the other cases, will expire at the next hearing if we don’t go forward,” said the prosecutor.

Court records show Johnson is facing a felony charge of escape from an officer from 2020, a misdemeanor charge of second-degree theft from 2022, a domestic violence charge of simple assault from 2022, a misdemeanor charge of attempted threats to do bodily harm from February, and misdemeanor and felony bail violation charges from June.

Parties are set to reconvene on Nov. 5.