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Delaware Man Ordered to Spend Over Two Decades in Prison for Two Violent Carjackings in Delaware County
PHILADELPHIA – Keenan Righter, 21, of New Castle, Delaware, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Court Chief Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg to 280 months in prison, five years of supervised release, restitution of $1,919, and a $500 assessment, in connection with two armed carjackings in Delaware County in January of 2023.
Righter was convicted by a jury in May of conspiracy, two counts of carjacking, and two counts of using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence arising from his role in the two carjacking incidents.
On January 14, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m., Righter and others drove in a car to a Wawa on Route 322 in Upper Chichester Township, Delaware County. Righter and another male then ambushed a 23-year-old college student who was walking to his car after leaving the store. The men, each brandishing firearms and wearing masks to disguise their identities, demanded the victim’s vehicle at gunpoint. They pistol-whipped the victim in the back of the head and fled the scene in the victim’s car.
On January 24, 2023, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Righter and another male drove in a car to a Wawa on Edgmont Avenue in Brookhaven, Delaware County. Again, they wore masks and carried firearms as they carjacked a 33-year-old victim at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Wawa. The men pistol-whipped the victim multiple times in the head with a firearm as they stole his belongings and fled the scene in his car.
The defendant was apprehended after an intensive investigation by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, in conjunction with the Brookhaven and Upper Chichester Police Departments. Digital forensic evidence and more linked the defendant to both carjackings.
“Imagine the shock of being violently ambushed on a Wawa run, of all things,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “Keenan Righter targeted and terrorized total strangers, just to steal their cars. Armed criminals who think they can victimize innocent people with impunity should take a good hard look at 21-year-old Mr. Righter’s 23-year prison sentence. Keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll earn your own long stay in one of our federal facilities.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is working to combat violent crime and improve public safety in the communities it serves.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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