Federal Indictment Charges Two Chicago Teenagers with Carjacking and Weapons Offenses

CHICAGO — A federal grand jury has indicted two teenagers on carjacking and weapons offenses for allegedly taking a sport-utility vehicle at gunpoint in Chicago’s Goose Island neighborhood.

JASON DORTCH, 19, and DAVONTAE JONES, 18, brandished firearms while forcibly taking a Jeep Grand Cherokee on Nov. 13, 2017, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Dortch is a convicted felon who was not legally allowed to possess the firearm, the indictment states.

The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Kimberly M. Foxx, Cook County State’s Attorney; and Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.

The case was investigated by the Chicago 11th District Violent Crimes Task Force, which consists of agents and officers from the FBI, Chicago Police, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  Additionally, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Oak Park Police Department and Illinois State Police assisted in the apprehension of the defendants.

“Our office will use every available federal resource to vigorously pursue and prosecute violent carjackers,” said U.S. Attorney Lausch.  “We are committed to working with our state and local law enforcement partners to aggressively fight violent crime and protect Chicago’s neighborhoods from gun offenders.”

“The FBI views carjackings as a particularly violent and heinous crime,” said FBI SAC Sallet.  “We are proud to work side by side with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Oak Park Police Department, Illinois State Police, and our federal law enforcement partners, to bring these individuals to justice.  Anyone who commits a crime like this should know, we are coming for you.”

The indictment charges Dortch and Jones with one count of carjacking and one count of using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  Dortch is also charged with one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.  The using and brandishing charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, the carjacking charge is punishable by up to 15 years, and the felon-in-possession charge is punishable by up ten years.

Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeannice Appenteng and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marny Zimmer.