Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Carjacking Three Vehicles in Chicago

CHICAGO - A federal judge has sentenced a man to 22 years in prison for carjacking three vehicles at gunpoint in Chicago and shooting one of the victims.

JAMARI EDWARDS carjacked the vehicles in August 2022 in the West Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The first carjacking occurred in the drive-thru area of a coffee shop, while the other two occurred outside of a convenience store at a gas station. In each of the carjackings, Edwards pointed a gun at the driver and demanded the keys to the car. In the coffee shop carjacking, Edwards shot the driver in the leg after the driver had already given Edwards the key and exited the vehicle. Before shooting the driver, Edwards asked him words to the effect of, "Why are you not scared?"

Edwards, 23, of Chicago, was arrested in 2022 and has remained in law enforcement custody since then. He pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges. On Sept. 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Edwards to 22 years in federal prison.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Simar Khera.