COLUMBUS, OH – A federal grand jury has piled on the charges against two central Ohio men already accused of participating in a brazen shootout with Columbus police following a July bank robbery. The superseding indictment reveals a pattern of escalating criminal activity, linking Faisal M. Darod, 23, of Columbus, and Aden Abdullahi Jama, 20, of Reynoldsburg, to a series of heists across the region.
The new indictment details how Darod allegedly aided and abetted four additional robberies beyond the Fifth Third bank in Hilliard on July 6th, the incident that sparked the I-70 pursuit and subsequent gunfire. He now faces charges for robberies at a GameStop on Hilliard-Rome Road (June 21, 2023), Auto Gallery on Westerville Road in Minerva Park (July 3, 2023), another Fifth Third Bank on Fishinger Road in Upper Arlington (July 5, 2023), and Byers Imports on North Hamilton Road in Whitehall (July 6, 2023). He’s also been charged with four counts of aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during these robberies.
Jama, 20, isn’t off the hook either. He’s charged with being an accessory after the fact to the bank robbery in Hilliard, and with aiding and abetting robberies at Byers Imports and the second Fifth Third Bank on Hilliard-Rome Road. The indictment alleges the pair worked together to steal a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray from Auto Gallery, more than $75,000 from the Upper Arlington Fifth Third, and a cache of PlayStation gaming consoles. They also allegedly aided in the theft of a 2020 Porsche Cayenne SUV from Byers Imports and over $85,000 from the Hilliard Fifth Third.
The July 6th incident brought the investigation to a head. After the Hilliard bank robbery, Columbus Police and other law enforcement officers intercepted Darod and Jama on I-70. The ensuing shootout left a Columbus Police officer severely wounded and a third individual in the vehicle dead. The details of that shootout, and the circumstances surrounding the third person’s death, remain under investigation, but the new charges paint a clear picture of escalating recklessness.
Federal agents moved quickly to apprehend the suspects. Darod was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals’ Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team outside his Columbus residence in the early hours of July 7th. Jama was apprehended a day later at Chicago O’Hare International Airport by U.S. Marshals and Homeland Security Investigation agents. Both remain in federal custody awaiting trial. Aiding and abetting a bank robbery carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during a crime of violence could add anywhere from five years to a life sentence. Jama, as an accessory after the fact, faces up to 10 years if convicted.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton, with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, the ATF, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant, and multiple other federal and local agencies. U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker stressed that the superseding indictment contains allegations only, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The investigation is ongoing, and further charges are possible.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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