Thomas J.D. Williams, Armed Carjacking, Ohio 2023

CLEVELAND – In a shocking crime spree that left the community shaken, two men from Northeast Ohio have been sentenced to 15 years in prison each for their roles in a string of armed carjackings.

Thomas J.D. Williams, 19, of Maple Heights, Ohio, was sentenced on Monday, May 8, 2023, to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge James S. Gwin after he pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

His accomplice, Donteze Congress, 19, of Maple Heights, Ohio, followed suit on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, when he was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the same judge after pleading guilty to the same charges.

According to court documents, in three separate incidents on August 9, 2022, Congress, Williams, and co-defendant Kenneth Franklin used firearms and threats of violence to steal vehicles. The brazen crimes left residents on edge, with the defendants resorting to reckless driving to cause minor traffic incidents and then striking at their victims when they were most vulnerable.

Court documents state that on each occasion, as the victim exited their vehicle, they were confronted by two or three of the carjackers brandishing firearms, threatening violence, and demanding the keys to the vehicle. It was a chilling display of brazen disregard for human life and a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk in our communities.

Williams was later arrested and found to be in possession of a victim credit card and a loaded pistol, further evidence of the pair’s ruthless tactics. Co-defendant Kenneth Franklin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2023.

The investigation preceding the indictment was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Solon Police Department, Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, Streetsboro Police Department, and the Garfield Heights Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter E. Daly and Christopher J. Joyce.

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