Two Armed Robbers Sentenced After Carjacking and Robbery

TULSA, Okla. - Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Ray Alexander Villalba, 22, from Goodyear, Arizona, for Carjacking, Carrying, Obstructing, Delaying, and Affecting Commerce by Robbery and two counts of Using a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Judge Frizzell ordered Villalba to 220 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release.

Villalba's codefendant, Elijah Paul Titone, 26, of Sand Springs, was sentenced in August for the same counts. Titone was ordered to 190 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for his involvement.

On December 4, 2022, Villalba was messaging a male victim through a dating application and agreed to meet up. Upon arrival, the victim's vehicle was rushed by two armed individuals, Villalba and Titone. They entered the victim's vehicle and zip-tied him. Villalba drove the vehicle away as Titone sat in the backseat with his gun pointed at the victim. Villalba threatened to kill the victim if he did not cooperate with their demands. They drove to several banks, attempting to withdraw funds from the victim's checking account, and left him on the side of the road.

During a second incident on December 6th, Villalba and Titone broke into a home in Broken Arrow. Armed, they demand money and weed. Villalba struck the victim in the eye with his gun, causing the victim to lose sight.

Villalba and Titone will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Broken Arrow Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore and John Brasher prosecuted the case.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.