Today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Jaquell Blackwell, 20, pleaded guilty to an armed carjacking. Abdoul Azika, 21, his co-defendant, had already entered a guilty plea on July 9, 2025, for similar crimes. Both face up to 15 years in prison after sentencing by Judge Allyne R. Ross.
United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr., and Assistant Director Christopher G. Raia of the FBI’s New York Field Office, announced the guilty pleas. Nocella emphasized that Blackwell and Azika terrorized their communities with violent carjackings and threats of harm. Their sentencing will ensure accountability for their crimes.
“Jaquell Blackwell and Abdoul Azika committed a series of armed carjackings by threatening violence to steal cars from their victims,” Raia stated, highlighting the FBI’s efforts in Operation Summer Heat to protect citizens from violent offenders.
According to court documents, Blackwell and Azika were members of the Bronx-based Blood Hounds Brims gang, responsible for multiple carjackings across New York City and Long Island. They admitted to stealing a vehicle from Garden City in March 2023, and Blackwell confessed to another armed carjacking in Elmont on June 7, 2023. Azika also admitted to two carjackings in South Farmingdale and Massapequa in June 2022.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca M. Schuman and Kamil R. Ammari, of the General Crimes Section. The Nassau County Police Department’s assistance was acknowledged for their role in the case.
ABDOUL AZIKA
Age: 21
Bronx, New York
JAQUELL BLACKWELL
Age: 20
Bronx, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 24-CR-483, 25-CR-194 (ARR)
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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