A carjacking defendant accepted a plea deal before DC Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean on Feb. 26.
Ira Shaw-Bates, 23, was originally charged with armed carjacking and robbery while armed for his involvement in a carjacking on the 300 block of N Street, NE on June 6, 2025.
According to court documents, Shaw-Bates and his co-defendant, 40-year-old Derrick Coltrane, approached the victim outside of their car and demanded the victim hand over their phone. Shaw-Bates and Coltrane seized the victim’s phone, wallet, and car before driving away in the victim’s car.
Coltrane pleaded guilty to unarmed carjacking and possession of a prohibited weapon on Oct. 31, 2025. His sentencing is scheduled for April 17.
During the hearing, Shaw-Bates accepted a plea deal from the prosecution requiring him to plead guilty to unarmed carjacking. In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss any greater and remaining charges in this case in addition to an unrelated robbery case.
In the plea deal, the parties agreed upon a sentence of six-to-eight years in prison, subject to Judge McLean’s approval.
After ensuring Shaw-Bates understood his rights and knowingly pleaded guilty, Judge McLean accepted his decision.
Had the case gone to trial, the prosecution said they would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Shaw-Bates assisted in carjacking the victim and was in the passenger seat of the stolen car when Coltrane drove away with the stolen property.
The parties are slated to reconvene on June 5 for Shaw-Bates’ sentencing.
