Three Minneapolis Men Sentenced for Carjacking Scheme

MINNEAPOLIS (WJON News) -- Three Minneapolis men have been sentenced and a fourth is awaiting sentencing for their roles in a string of carjackings and armed robberies.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says 20-year-old Shevirio Childs-Young, 21-year-old William Saffold, 23-year-old Javeyon Tate, and 20-year-old Eric Knight all pleaded guilty to conspiring to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to crimes of violence. Saffold also pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer.

Records show between September and October 2021, the men worked together, targeting Uber and Lyft drivers by posing as passengers and luring them to preplanned locations. According to the documents, once the drivers arrived, the men would carjack them at gunpoint. Court records show the men brandished firearms, beat, and pistol-whipped the drivers during the incidents.

According to the documents, they took keys, wallets, and cell phones from the drivers. Records show the men forced the drivers to unlock their phones at gunpoint and requested passwords which they then used to take money from the drivers’ various cash and banking apps.

The documents also show when authorities tried to arrest Saffold in May 2022, he pulled out a gun, pointed it at the FBI agent, and then ran away.

This week, Knight was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, Tate was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and Childs-Young was sentenced to 96 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Saffold will be sentenced later this month.