South Carolina Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Carjacking

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on June 28, 2024, ONIS WASHINGTON ("WASHINGTON"), age 25, a resident of South Carolina, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 180 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119.

On January 2, 2022, in the 1000 block of Carondelet Street, WASHINGTON and his co-defendant forcefully stole a car from the victim and fled in the stolen vehicle. Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans Police Department located the vehicle, but it refused to stop. Following a chase, WASHINGTON and his co-defendant hit several vehicles and crashed the stolen vehicle, before fleeing on foot. WASHINGTON was later arrested in South Carolina.

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.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.