A senseless and violent crime has come to an end in Port Arthur, Texas, as Charles Robert Knatt, a 19-year-old, pleaded guilty to federal carjacking and firearm charges in the Eastern District of Texas.
According to court documents, on March 15, 2021, law enforcement officers responded to a carjacking and shooting in Port Arthur and found a man shot in the arm at his residence. The victim told officers he remote-started his truck from his home before leaving for work at 4:30 a.m. As he left his residence, he was approached by Knatt, who was armed with a gun. Knatt demanded money from the victim and the keys to his truck.
Knatt gave the keys to an accomplice, who entered the driver’s seat, while Knatt entered the passenger side of the truck. The victim ran back to his house and began to ring his doorbell, at which point Knatt exited the truck and shot him. Security cameras at the victim’s home captured the carjacking and shooting on video. Three days later, Knatt turned himself in to police after seeing news reports about the carjacking and shooting.
Knatt admitted to law enforcement that he stole the victim’s keys and shot him. The defendant, Charles Robert Knatt, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 6, 2021, and faces up to life in federal prison.
The case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the federal violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has been proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.
The case is being investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn. Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei expressed his gratitude for the hard work of the Port Arthur Police Department and the ATF in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.
In a statement, Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said, “Today’s guilty plea represents another step forward in getting justice for the victim of this senseless and violent crime. I am thankful for the hard work of the Port Arthur Police Department and the ATF in helping bring this case to a successful conclusion.”
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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