COLUMBUS, OH – A brazen crime spree culminating in a high-speed chase and shootout on I-70 has landed 23-year-old Faisal M. Darod of Columbus facing decades in federal prison. Darod pleaded guilty today to nine counts related to a string of armed robberies across central Ohio, including the July 6th shooting of a Columbus police officer. Federal prosecutors are recommending a sentence of 20 to 30 years behind bars.
The criminal enterprise began June 21st with a GameStop robbery on Hilliard-Rome Road. Darod, along with an accomplice, initially targeted a bank but pivoted to the GameStop when they discovered it was closed. Darod supplied the handgun, extended magazine, and ammunition, acting as a lookout during the stick-up. This wasn’t an isolated incident. On July 3rd, Darod drove an accomplice to the Auto Gallery in Minerva Park, where a 2016 Corvette Stingray was stolen at gunpoint. He then spent the next two days flaunting the stolen vehicle, recording videos of himself driving it around the parking lot of the Baymont Inn and Suites on Morse Road, where he’d rented a room.
The robberies escalated. On July 5th, Darod arranged for 20-year-old Aden Abdullahi Jama of Reynoldsburg to pick up Darod and another individual after they robbed a Fifth Third Bank on Fishinger Road in Upper Arlington. A chilling detail emerged from the plea agreement: Darod and Jama filmed themselves celebrating the heist at the Baymont Inn, Darod rapping about “cheese” – slang for money – while surrounded by the stolen cash. The following day, July 6th, the pair aided another armed robbery at Byers Imports in Whitehall, driving a third man to the scene.
The real chaos began after the Byers Imports robbery. The trio stole a Porsche Cayenne and, while attempting to evade Whitehall police detectives tracking the vehicle via GPS, led officers on a reckless pursuit, exceeding 100 mph on local roads. They eventually ended up on I-70 eastbound, reaching speeds of over 125 mph during rush hour. The driver, now deceased, attempted to ram through a police barricade at a Fifth Third Bank on Hilliard-Rome Road, crashing the stolen Porsche and initiating a foot chase.
While the driver didn’t survive the initial crash, Darod and Jama fled on foot before being apprehended. Jama had already pleaded guilty on October 11th to related charges. The investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), revealed a calculated pattern of criminal activity. U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker’s office successfully prosecuted the case, highlighting the federal commitment to combating violent crime and holding offenders accountable.
The plea agreement signals a likely conclusion to this dangerous case, but the fallout from the I-70 shootout will undoubtedly continue to reverberate through the Columbus community. The recommended 20-30 year sentence for Darod reflects the severity of the crimes and the threat he posed to both law enforcement and the public. Sentencing is pending before a federal judge.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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