Armed carjacking victimized a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Orlando, Florida, on August 12, 2015, with assailants taking the victim for approximately two hours before fleeing the scene, according to court documents.
The victim, who was on vacation with his family, had gone down to his SUV in the hotel parking lot at the time of the attack, where he was approached by Gregory McDonald, co-defendant Dante Askins, and two minors. The group forced the victim into the backseat of his vehicle at gunpoint, tied his hands and feet with duct tape and zip ties, and pistol-whipped him, according to the indictment.
Gregory McDonald pleaded guilty to the carjacking and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He has since appealed his sentence, arguing that the sentencing court had not sufficiently addressed mitigating circumstances and had imposed an unreasonably high sentence.
However, in affirming McDonald’s sentence, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his argument, stating that the sentencing court had given ‘due consideration’ to mitigating circumstances but had also considered that the crime was ‘horrific’ and lacking in ‘basic humanity.’
The court also noted that McDonald had planned the carjacking in advance, purchasing zip ties and duct tape with the intention of kidnapping someone at gunpoint for no apparent reason. Additionally, McDonald’s extensive and violent criminal history, which included offenses such as sexual battery, carjacking with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, and burglary, was properly considered by the sentencing court.
The Eleventh Circuit concluded that the 20-year sentence was not unreasonably high, and McDonald’s appeal was denied.
Defendant Name: Gregory McDonald
Exact Criminal Charges: Armed Carjacking of a Federal Officer
City and State: Orlando, Florida
Exact Date: August 12, 2015
Sentence or Outcome: 20 years in prison
Assistant United States Attorney Germaine M. Seider handled the appeal, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the underlying case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany L. Cummins.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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