Verod Woodard, Carjacking, TX 2015

DALLAS – A brazen two-day crime spree ended with a hefty federal sentence for Dallas resident Verod Woodard. The carjacker was sentenced yesterday to 283 months – more than 23 years – in federal prison after admitting to holding two victims at gunpoint and stealing their vehicles in May 2015.

U.S. District Chief Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn handed down the sentence, following a guilty plea from Woodard just as his trial was set to begin in May 2016. He admitted to one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas announced the conviction, a win for the agencies involved in bringing Woodard to justice.

The first carjacking unfolded on May 15, 2015, in the parking lot of a Family Dollar store. Woodard, armed with a loaded .25 caliber Raven Arms handgun, confronted a woman and stole her 2006 Chrysler Sebring. The following day, Woodard struck again, this time at a gas station/convenience store. He brandished the same firearm at a second victim, making off with a 2007 Ford F-250 pickup truck.

Woodard’s freedom, however, was short-lived. Almost immediately after leaving the gas station, he ran a red light, drawing the attention of a DART police officer. A routine traffic stop quickly turned into an arrest when the officer ran the vehicle’s license plate and discovered it had been reported stolen in a recent carjacking. Inside the cab of the stolen F-250, officers recovered a .25 caliber Raven Arms handgun – a dead match to the weapon described by the truck’s owner.

The investigation was a collaborative effort, spearheaded by the FBI, with crucial support from the Dallas Police Department and the DART Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Penley and Kate Pfeifle skillfully prosecuted the case, presenting the evidence that led to Woodard’s conviction and substantial prison sentence. This case sends a clear message: armed robbery will not be tolerated in North Texas.

Woodard will now spend over two decades behind bars, a consequence of his violent actions. The 283-month sentence serves as a stark reminder of the severe penalties awaiting those who choose to terrorize and victimize others through armed carjacking. The Grimy Times will continue to follow federal crime stories as they develop.