Armed Carjacker Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison

Victim Was Warming Up Car When Approached By Camara Brandishing A Firearm

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Mouhamed Camara, age 29, of Reisterstown, Maryland to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for Carjacking, and Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer C. Boone of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.

According to Camara’s plea agreement, on January 9, 2018, the victim had started her 2010 Toyota Corolla to warm the engine outside of her home in Reisterstown, Maryland.  She was scraping ice off of the windows when she spotted Camara on the other side of the street.  When she turned around, Camara pointed a gun in her face, but did not say a word.  The victim ran for safety.  Camara entered the victim’s car, which contained her purse and cellphone, and drove away.

Baltimore County Police Officers later located the vehicle in the area of an apartment complex in Reisterstown, Maryland.  Detectives placed a GPS tracker on the carjacked vehicle to track its movements.  A short time later, the vehicle was observed traveling towards Hanover Pike and onto I-795 South.  Detectives followed the vehicle onto I-695 where they stopped the vehicle.  Camara was the operator and sole occupant of the vehicle.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for Camara’s cellphone.  A search of the cellphone revealed a photo of a black semi-automatic handgun that was consistent with the description of the firearm provided by the victim.  There was also a photo of the defendant’s girlfriend stamped with a geolocation near a residence in Reisterstown, Maryland, taken on January 8, 2018, the day prior to the carjacking.

On January 10, 2018, detectives went to the residence and found Camara’s girlfriend and another male exiting the residence.  Detectives approached and spoke with them.  Camara’s girlfriend indicated that she and Camara had been living at the residence and had a black backpack inside the residence.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence and recovered a loaded handgun, along with a black backpack, and some clothing belonging to Camara.  The firearm seized matched the firearm seen in the photo on Camara’s phone.

United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the FBI's Baltimore Field Office and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Hur thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sippel, who is prosecuting the case.