Seven Carjacking Co-Defendants Reject Plea Offers 

By Natalie Note - November 4, 2024
Carjacking | Daily Stories | Suspects |

Seven carjacking co-defendants rejected plea offers from the prosecution before DC Superior Court Judge Robert Okun on Nov. 1. 

Byron Gillum, Jaelen Jordan, Isaiah Flowers, Jahkai Goff, Warren Montgomery, Taj Giles, and Irshaad Ellis-Bey, all 19 years old, 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. 

Additionally, Jordan, Goff, Gillum, Ellis-Bey, Giles, and Flowers are charged with two more counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle, two more counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, armed carjacking of a senior citizen, receiving stolen property of $1,000 or more, and robbery of a senior citizen while armed. 

These charges stem from their alleged involvement in a series of carjackings and subsequent distribution of the carjacked vehicles between April and May of 2023.

According to court documents, the first verified carjacking occurred on April 27, 2023, on 8th Street and K Street, NE. Another incident occurred on May 16, 2023, in the 600 block of Butternut Street, NW. 

Prior to those incidents, the alleged sale of carjacked vehicles by these individuals was under investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department’s (MPD) Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). An undercover officer conducted a controlled buy of a carjacked vehicle and allegedly made contact with Jordan in March of 2023. 

At the hearing, the prosecution read into the record four plea offers that were communicated to all of the co-defendants in January of 2024. 

Goff, Gillum, Ellis-Bey, and Giles were all offered a sentence of 20-and-a-half-years to 31-and-a-half-years of incarceration if they pleaded guilty to armed carjacking, armed robbery, and trafficking in stolen property. In exchange, the prosecution would agree to waive all other charges and enhancements. 

All four co-defendants rejected the plea offer. 

Flowers was offered a sentence of 20-and-a-half-years to 31-and-a-half-years of incarceration if he pleaded guilty to armed carjacking, armed robbery, and trafficking in stolen property. In exchange, the prosecution would agree to waive all other charges but reserve the right to ask for a senior citizen enhancement at sentencing. 

Flowers rejected the plea offer. 

Montgomery was offered a sentence of 20-and-a-half-years to 31-and-a-half-years of incarceration if he pleaded guilty to armed carjacking, armed robbery, and trafficking in stolen property. In exchange, the prosecution would agree to waive all other charges but reserve the right to ask for a senior citizen enhancement at sentencing. 

Montgomery rejected the plea offer. 

Finally, Jordan was offered a sentence of 32-years-and-one-month to 45-years-and-a-half-years of incarceration if he pleaded guilty to two counts of armed carjacking, conspiracy, robbery, and trafficking in stolen property. In exchange, the prosecution would agree to waive all other charges and not indict on additional charges. The prosecution also reserved the right to ask for a senior citizen enhancement at sentencing. 

Jordan rejected the plea offer.

Brian McDaniel, Jordan’s defense attorney, said Jordan was rejecting the offer because the low end of the prosecution’s recommended sentence was nearly twice the amount of time Jordan has been on Earth. 

The prosecution told the court they have tested eight swabs from firearms and magazines for Goff’s DNA, and Goff was likely excluded from five of the swabs.

Donna Beasley, Goff’s defense attorney, said Goff was waiving his right to independent DNA testing. 

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on April 4, 2025, in the cases of Montgomery and Giles, who are being tried separately. 

Parties are slated to reconvene on Sept. 5, 2025, in the cases of Jordan, Goff, Gillum, Ellis-Bey, and Flowers.