A mother and her three children were violently robbed of their Chevrolet truck in a Tulsa convenience store parking lot on June 4, 2017, when 33-year-old Joshua Wofford stormed their vehicle and sped off. The brazen carjacking unfolded in broad daylight, sending shockwaves through the local community and triggering a high-speed pursuit by Tulsa Police Officers who chased Wofford across city streets before he vanished into a nearby wooded area.
Wofford was apprehended hours later, hiding in brush and debris, as law enforcement closed in. Federal prosecutors swiftly moved to hold him accountable, charging him under the federal carjacking statute due to the violent nature of the crime and its impact on interstate commerce. A jury in the Northern District of Oklahoma found Wofford guilty on the carjacking charge, but acquitted him of a related firearm count.
Today, United States District Judge John Dowdell sentenced Joshua Wofford, of Tulsa, to 162 months—13 and a half years—in federal prison. After completing his sentence, Wofford will face an additional three years of supervised release. Parole has been abolished in the federal system, meaning Wofford will serve nearly every day of his sentence behind bars.
United States Attorney Trent Shores, who oversaw the prosecution, issued a blunt warning to would-be offenders: “Violent crime can come with big time in the federal system. Carjackers should be on notice that federal prosecutors are working side by side with the Tulsa Police Department and ATF to protect our community. A 13 1/2 year sentence sends a strong message to any would be violent criminal.”
The investigation was a joint effort between the Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), highlighting the increasing coordination between local and federal law enforcement in tackling violent street crime. Evidence gathered at the scene, witness testimony, and forensic tracking played a crucial role in securing the conviction.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric O. Johnston represented the United States throughout the trial, methodically building a case that left jurors with no doubt about Wofford’s guilt in the carjacking. The sentence underscores the federal government’s aggressive stance on violent offenses, especially those involving children and use of intimidation to steal property.”
Related Federal Cases
- Tulsa Carjacking Crew Gets Decades in Federal Prison · Oklahoma
- Jesse Bud Leaverton Gets Life for Tulsa Bank Robberies · Oklahoma
- Newlin, Mendinghall Indicted in Tulsa Carjacking, Cop Shooting · Oklahoma
- Tulsa Man Gets 74 Months for Witness Tampering · Oklahoma
- Tulsa Carjacking Crew Faces Federal Charges · Oklahoma
Key Facts
- State: Oklahoma
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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