Wyoming Department of Justice release:
Two suspects have been arrested after a carjacking that occurred in Cheyenne on April 21, 2020. Both arrests were made in Cheyenne at a local residence. The suspects allegedly used force and threats with a weapon against a Cheyenne resident to steal the victim’s vehicle. This incident occurred in the late evening hours in the southwest area of Cheyenne. Both suspects have been charged by complaint in the U.S. District Court for Wyoming. The names of the suspects are not being released at this time pending presentation of the case to a federal grand jury later in May.
The victim reported encountering two males on the roadway while driving in southwest Cheyenne. After he stopped to offer assistance, one male pulled out a rifle and demanded the victim turn over control of the vehicle. The second suspect allegedly pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded he empty his pockets. The suspects then fled in the victim’s vehicle.
“Carjacking is a brazen and violent crime that is thankfully rare in our communities. I appreciate the efforts of the Cheyenne and Longmont, Colorado police departments and the FBI in responding and investigating these matters as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen.
“Thanks to the combined efforts of our FBI task force and excellent relationships with local law enforcement partners, two individuals were recently apprehended on charges of carjacking and federal firearms offenses,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael H. Schneider. “Joint investigations such as this help to ensure our communities and children are safe from harm’s way.”
Both suspects have been charged with carjacking, which carries the potential penalty of up to fifteen years imprisonment, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which has a potential penalty of seven years to life imprisonment. Persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until when and if they are found guilty. The case continues to be under investigation by the Cheyenne Police Department, F.B.I., the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and Longmont Police Department in Colorado.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.