An Air Force veteran testified about being carjacked and robbed before DC Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz on Nov. 12.
Irshaad Ellis-Bey, 20, Isaiah Flowers, 20, Taj Giles, 20, Bryon Gillum, 20, Jahkai Goff, 21, Jaelen Jordan, 20, and Warren Montgomery, 20, are charged with conspiracy, trafficking stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of robbery while armed. These charges stem from the group’s alleged involvement in a series of armed carjackings and the subsequent distribution of the stolen vehicles between February and May of 2023.
One of the carjackings occurred on Feb. 27, 2023 at the intersection of 20th Street and Sunderland Place, NW. Another carjacking took place at the intersection of K and 8th Street, NE, on April 27, 2023.
Additionally, Ellis-Bey, Flowers, Giles, Gillum, Goff, and Jordan are charged with two additional counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, armed carjacking of a senior citizen, receiving stolen property of $1000 or more, and robbery of a senior citizen while armed. These charges stem from their alleged involvement in a carjacking that occurred on the 600 block of Butternut Street, NW, on May 16, 2023.
The victim in the April 27, 2023 incident stated that he was stopped at the intersection of K and 8th Street, NE in his BMW X6 when a black sedan pulled in front of him and two men in ski masks and armed with guns got out and carjacked him. He stated that he was on his way to work at the time and that a passerby drove him the rest of the way to his office, where she called 911 for him.
The prosecution entered two videos into evidence which the witness stated depicted the incident itself and his interaction with the police immediately after the event. In the former, he stated that he can be seen exiting the vehicle quickly with his hands raised so he did not appear threatening to the suspects. He stated that the men were young, Black, and between 5′ 8 and 5′ 11 but that he could not identify anything else because of their masks.
The victim stated that he had only been living in the area for six months at the time of the incident, and had previously been living in Germany while in the Air Force.
According to the victim, his car and other belongings were returned approximately one week later by police, but iterated that he never found his personal or work phone.
Stephen LoGerfo, attorney for Montgomery, questioned the victim on whether any of the men were wearing gloves, which the victim said they were not.
Christopher Young, representing Giles, confirmed with the witness that none of the assailants had any long guns and were only using pistols.
Brian McDaniel, attorney for Jordan, questioned the victim on how he could tell the height of the men from the brief time he saw them. He stated that he had made a rough approximation but that the entire incident lasted around 15 seconds.
He also confirmed that he could not see the driver of the lead vehicle and could not give a description. McDaniel finished his cross examination by asking whether he had ever been asked to identify anyone, which the victim said he had not.
Daniel Dorsey, counsel for Gillum, confirmed with the victim that neither of the two men involved had a large Nike logo on their clothes.
Prosecutors called in a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) detective to testify. The detective, who said he worked the carjacking taskforce in May of 2023, participated in a search warrant at an apartment on the 1300 block of Florida Avenue, NE, on May 17, 2023.
The residence belonged to Jordan, according to the detective.
The detective testified that the property of the victim in the May 16, 2023 incident was found inside Jordan’s apartment.
The prosecution played the detective’s body camera footage from the search warrant. In the footage, Jordan was seen in handcuffs and at least six other bystanders were seen in the apartment.
Another officer was seen looking through a white trash bag that was on the floor in Jordan’s apartment. In the trash bag, the officer pulled out a DC license plate. The prosecution asked the detective, “whose license plate is that?” to which attorney McDaniel objected.
The name of the victim in the May 16, 2023 incident was heard as the officer recovered a pill bottle, wallet, social security card, and a triple-A card in the name of the victim.
After the video was shown, McDaniel asked the detective if he knew the duration of the search warrant went on before he entered the apartment. The detective testified that he did not know.
McDaniel also inquired about the white trash bag and asked if it had been searched before the detective entered the apartment. The detective also testified that he did not know.
Dorsey asked the detective if he interviewed the others who were present at Jordan’s apartment. The detective testified that he interviewed three individuals. Dorsey then asked if Gillum was one of the people he interviewed. The detective said that Gillum was not one of the people he spoke to.
Prosecutors called an MPD officer that had been involved in the raid on an apartment that recovered multiple firearms allegedly connected to the case. The officer confirmed that a pistol that had been entered into evidence was the one recovered from the raid that day. Cross-examination from McDaniel concerned whether any other officers aside from the witness could have contaminated it before recovery, to which the officer said he was not sure.
Parties are slated to reconvene on Nov. 12.
