TRENTON, N.J. – Mercer County resident Cedrick Hodges, 40, was convicted of several carjackings, including one where a driver suffered permanent and serious bodily injury, after a seven-day trial in Trenton federal court. Hodges was found guilty of carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a carjacking, two attempted carjackings resulting in serious bodily injury, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The crimes took place on December 16, 2017. Hodges entered a Toyota Camry and pointed a loaded sawed-off shotgun at the driver, demanding that she operate the vehicle. He then approached a Honda Accord and demanded that the driver exit the vehicle. When the driver refused, Hodges discharged the firearm, striking the driver in the torso and causing permanent and serious bodily injury.
Minutes later, Hodges approached a Nissan Rogue and demanded that the driver hand over the keys. When the driver refused, Hodges brandished the shotgun and discharged the firearm, causing permanent and serious bodily injury. The count of carjacking carries a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison, while the counts of attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury each carry a maximum potential sentence of 25 years in prison.
The count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, which must run consecutively to any term of imprisonment imposed on any other charges. The possession of a firearm by a convicted felon carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hamilton Township Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Suggs and Tracey Agnew. Cedrick Hodges will be sentenced at a later date. The full extent of his prison time is currently unknown.
In this case, the defendant, Cedrick Hodges, has been convicted of several serious crimes, including carjacking, brandishing a firearm, and attempted carjackings resulting in serious bodily injury. The outcome of this case is still pending, with sentencing scheduled for a later date.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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