A defendant was sentenced to seven years in prison in an unarmed carjacking case before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno on Nov. 18.
Jarrell Gayden, 33, pleaded guilty to unarmed carjacking on Sep.18 for his involvement in an incident that took place on the 800 block of 7th Street, NW on April 25.
Gayden was on supervised release following a 2024 conviction for unauthorized use of a vehicle when the carjacking occurred.
Judge Salerno stuck to the mandatory minimum guidelines and sentenced Gayden to seven years for the carjacking, which is set to run consecutively with an additional 18 months for violation of the terms of his supervised release. He will also be required to complete three years of supervised release.
The prosecution highlighted Gayden’s extensive criminal history and the need for a strong deterrent to prevent him from committing similar acts in the future. They stated that he has four felony convictions consisting of robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle, and firearm possession charges.
Gayden’s attorney Sarah Kopecki focused on his willingness to admit his guilt early and stated that he is regretful of his actions. She conceded that he will have to serve time due to mandatory minimum guidelines but requested that all time be concurrent to the unarmed carjacking, believing that seven years was more than enough to act as a deterrent.
There are no more hearings scheduled in this case.
