Rashaad Thomas, Carjacking, Maryland 2017

Baltimore Home Invasion and Carjacking Assailant Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Federal Prison

Baltimore, Maryland – In a major victory for law enforcement, a Baltimore man has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for his role in a brazen home invasion and carjacking that took place in 2017.

Rashaad Thomas, 32, of Baltimore, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander to seven and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for carjacking.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Commissioner Michael Harrison of the Baltimore Police Department.

According to his plea agreement, on October 21, 2017, Thomas forcibly entered a Baltimore City residence where he brandished a weapon that resembled a firearm, demanded money, and demanded the keys to the victims’ vehicle. In compliance with Thomas’s demands, the male victim gave Thomas $500, his car keys, and walked Thomas to his vehicle located in the garage. Thomas then entered the vehicle and exited the garage, damaging the vehicle as he left the driveway.

On October 22, 2017, the stolen vehicle was recovered in the 3600 block of Dudley Avenue in Baltimore City, Maryland. The Baltimore City Police Department processed the vehicle for latent prints and discovered several prints that matched Thomas’s known fingerprints.

In addition to the latent prints, cellular telephone data placed Thomas’s cell phone near the location of the residence at the time of the home invasion and carjacking. Further, a BB gun that resembled the weapon described in the home invasion and carjacking was recovered from Thomas.

As stated in his plea agreement, Thomas is also a suspect in at least 17 violent crimes, including robberies, home invasions, and carjackings that occurred between July and October 2017. In many instances, victims report an assailant of Thomas’s description pointing a silver automatic handgun or black handgun to carry out various violent crimes.

The 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is the centerpiece of the Justice Department’s violent crime reduction efforts and focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The FBI and Baltimore Police Department were praised for their work in the investigation. Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr. who prosecuted the case.

Defendant: Rashaad Thomas

Criminal Charges: Carjacking

City and State: Baltimore, Maryland

Exact Date: October 21, 2017

Sentence or Outcome: 7.5 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release

Dollar Amounts: $500

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