Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery and Carjacking

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington, D.C. man pleaded guilty today to his role in an armed robbery and carjacking that led to a high-speed police chase and resulted in injuries to two police officers.

According to court documents, Jovan Doir Johnson, 30, together with another individual, obtained a stolen vehicle at gunpoint in Arlington and then used it to rob a 7-Eleven in Lorton. On Aug. 28, 2019, both men fled the 7-Eleven traveling north on Interstate 95 before taking Interstate 495 toward the Wilson Bridge, where several Virginia State Police cruisers attempted to stop the stolen Prius as it approached the bridge. When one cruiser attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, the vehicle drove into the rear corner of the cruiser forcing it into the concrete medium barrier at a high rate of speed. The first cruiser’s air bag deployed and the trooper was taken to the hospital with injuries as a result of the impact. A second cruiser subsequently advanced and pushed the stolen vehicle into the concrete medium just before reaching the bridge. The resulting impact also caused the second cruiser’s driver airbag to deploy. The trooper driving that second cruiser was also taken to the hospital. The Fairfax County Police Helicopter assisted in the stop.

Johnson pleaded guilty to armed robbery and brandishing a firearm during two crimes of violence, and carjacking. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years, and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison when sentenced on November 4. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is 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.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James A. Dawson, Special Agent in Charge, Criminal Division, FBI Washington Field Office; Colonel Edwin C. Roessler Jr., Fairfax County Chief of Police; M. Jay Farr, Arlington County Chief of Police; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. is prosecuting the case.

This matter was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Safe Streets Violent Crime Task Force which is composed of Special Agents and detectives from law enforcement agencies within Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia.  The task force concentrates on investigating violent crimes and criminal threats within the Capital Region. 

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:19-cr-351.