Louisiana Man Guilty of Carjacking

BEAUMONT – A New Orleans, Louisiana man has pleaded guilty to carjacking in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.

Aubrey Young, 36, pleaded guilty to carjacking before U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on July 14, 2023.

According to information presented in court, on Oct. 26, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a call regarding a stolen car, taken at gunpoint.  The suspect allegedly approached two individuals in Vidor, pulled a gun from his backpack and demanded the keys to their vehicle.  The vehicle was spotted near Anahuac and a high-speed chase ensued involving officers from the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety.  Young, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was arrested and a firearm was located in the vehicle.  Further investigation revealed Young is a convicted felon and prohibited by a federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.

Young was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 3, 2023.  Young faces up to 15 years in federal prison upon sentencing.  The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.  A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  This case is being investigated by the Vidor Police Department, Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove.