Deloneo Breham, Carjacking, Michigan 2021

A Detroit man has been sentenced to more than 19 years in federal prison for carjacking and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

Deloneo Breham, 32, of Detroit, was sentenced in federal court for the crimes, which occurred in February 2021. He was sentenced by United States District Judge Nancy Edmunds to 235 months in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release.

According to court records, on February 22, 2021, Breham approached a man pumping gas into his truck at a gas station on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit. Breham, armed with a handgun, told the victim to give him the keys to the truck. When the victim refused, Breham shot him in the leg.

The victim, a lawful CPL holder, retrieved his own firearm and shot Breham. Breham fled the scene on foot, but was found hiding in a bush nearby by Detroit Police within seven minutes.

This was not the first time Breham had committed a carjacking. Six months prior, on August 31, 2020, he carjacked a woman at her home. The victim arrived home with her minor children to find Breham inside her house, armed with a gun.

Breham pointed his gun at the victim and demanded the keys to her car. When the woman hesitated, Breham told her ‘I don’t want to do this in front of your kids.’ The victim gave Breham the keys to her car, and he left the house. The victim’s car was recovered from the Suez motel on Eight Mile the following day.

US Attorney Dawn N. Ison stated, ‘Carjackers create an unacceptable risk of physical harm or death and erode the overall sense of safety and security in our community.’

James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Division, added, ‘People who were just living their lives — doing ordinary things each of us has done thousands of times — were terrorized because this defendant wanted a car. No one should have to live in fear of something like that.’

Breham has been in custody since his arrest in February 2021.

Mandatory Facts:

Defendant: Deloneo Breham
Criminal Charges: Carjacking and Discharge of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence
City and State: Detroit, Michigan
Date: February 22, 2021
Sentence: 235 months in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release

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