Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Three Carjackings in Chicago

CHICAGO - A man has pleaded guilty in federal court to carjacking three vehicles at gunpoint in Chicago and shooting one of the victims.

JAMARI EDWARDS admitted in a plea agreement that he 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, 22, of Chicago, pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal carjacking and firearm charges. The convictions are punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years in federal prison and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins set sentencing for Aug. 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

The guilty plea 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 is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Steindorf.