Armed Carjacker Is Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison

Press Release

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - An armed carjacker was sentenced to eight years in prison today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Johnvonta Shiquan-Alexander Dixon, 26, of Charlotte, will also be subject to two years of supervised release upon his release from prison.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

"Dixon pointed a gun and threatened an innocent victim's life just to steal a car. That's more than a brazen crime - it's a ruthless display of violence. The eight-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the offense and delivers a measure of justice to the victim," said U.S. Attorney King.

"ATF's top priority is protecting communities against those who pose the greatest threat," said Special Agent in Charge Mims. "In this case, we had a calculated individual determined to break the law and endanger innocent lives. We are proud of to be part of a strong collaborative effort that brought this individual to justice."

According to court documents and court proceedings, on September 12, 2022, at approximately 9:20 p.m., the victim, identified as J.W., was carjacked at gunpoint while he was in the parking lot of an AutoZone store in Charlotte. Court records show that a man later identified as Dixon approached the victim, pointed a firearm at him, and demanded the keys to his vehicle. According to the victim, the gunman said, "I will f***ing kill you if you don't give me your keys." The victim complied and the gunman drove away in the victim's vehicle. Within five minutes of receiving the 911 call from the victim, a CMPD officer located the stolen vehicle abandoned near Old Pineville Road in Charlotte. The victim had reported that there were two firearms in the vehicle. When the vehicle was returned to the victim, the firearms and many other items were missing.

According to filed court documents, prior to the carjacking at the AutoZone, the victim had made two stops. First, he had stopped at the Stars Arcade II in Charlotte, followed by a stop at a QT gas station on Woodlawn Road. CMPD collected and analyzed video surveillance footage from multiple locations, including the arcade, street cameras, and the gas station. The video footage shows that Dixon was inside the arcade at the same time as the victim and followed the victim when he left the arcade. After leaving the arcade, the victim and Dixon got into their respective vehicles and video footage shows Dixon following the victim to the gas station. From the gas station, the victim went to the AutoZone where he was approached in the parking lot and carjacked by Dixon.

Court records show that CMPD officers identified the carjacker as Dixon and obtained state arrest warrants. On October 4, 2022, CMPD's Violent Criminal Apprehension Team went to a townhome in Charlotte to arrest Dixon. Dixon attempted to get away from the police by climbing into the attic, and then crashing through the bedroom ceiling of a neighboring unit. He was arrested shortly thereafter.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized Dixon's phone. A forensic analysis of text messages revealed that, on the night of the carjacking, Dixon had communicated with another individual about the victim's whereabouts further indicating that Dixon had tracked the victim. Law enforcement also found photographs of one of the victim's stolen firearms on Dixon's cell phone.

On April 18, 2024, Dixon pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Dixon remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte 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.

Updated November 21, 2024