Aubrey Young, a 37-year-old man from New Orleans, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 12.5 years in federal prison for a violent carjacking that occurred in Vidor, Texas. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs following Young's guilty plea.
According to court documents, on October 26, 2022, Young approached two individuals in Vidor, a town in Southeast Texas, asking if they had work for him. When they replied in the negative, Young retrieved a firearm from his backpack and demanded the keys to their vehicle. He then fled the scene in their car.
Law enforcement officers spotted the stolen vehicle near Anahuac, Texas, which led to a high-speed pursuit. Young was subsequently arrested, and a firearm was recovered from the stolen vehicle during his apprehension.
This case is notable as it falls under the purview of the newly established Carjacking Task Force in the Eastern District of Texas, which aims to combat the rising incidents of carjackings in the region. The task force involves collaboration between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and local law enforcement agencies.
The investigation into this case was conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Vidor Police Department, Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a national program aimed at reducing violent crime and ensuring community safety through collaborative law enforcement efforts.
Young's sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 1, 2024, underscores the serious consequences of violent crimes like carjacking and the commitment of law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable under federal law.
