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Press Release

Carjacker Who Led Police On A High Speed Chase Exiled To Over Three Years In Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Correy Markel Janifer, age 21, of Washington, D.C., today to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a gun and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Gerido of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; and Acting Chief of Police Robert Maclean of the U.S. Park Police.

According to his plea agreement, at about midnight on January 29, 2013, a man wearing a ski mask pointed a handgun at the driver of a Honda Accord while the driver was sitting in his car in the northeast section of the District of Columbia. The man hit the driver in the back of the head with his gun and took the car.

Shortly afterwards, D.C. police in marked cruisers saw the stolen Honda driving on the streets and tried to stop the car. Janifer, the driver, did not stop, and led the police on a chase into Maryland and onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. U.S. Park Police officers took up the pursuit with their lights flashing and sirens activated.

Janifer drove on at about 90 miles an hour in the 45 mile speed zone. As Janifer approached the interchange with Route 410, he went through a red light and returned to the Parkway. Janifer braked hard, causing a Park Police officer to swerve into another lane to avoid a collision. Janifer then accelerated and struck the right rear of the officer’s marked cruiser. Janifer then drove up the ramp to Route 450, while a loaded pistol was thrown out of the Honda. Janifer continued on to westbound Route 450, speeding, fishtailing and weaving over the center line into the oncoming lane. Janifer lost control of the car and finally halted. When an officer positioned his cruiser to prevent the Honda from moving further, Janifer drove the Honda forward to collide with the officer’s car and rip off the front bumper.

Janifer got out of the Honda and fled, shedding his jacket as he ran. Soon after, Janifer was surrounded by police and arrested. The pistol that was thrown from the Honda was recovered. A ski mask similar to the one described by the carjacking victim was found in the pocket of the jacket Janifer had thrown down during the chase.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the ATF and U.S. Park Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Hollis Raphael Weisman, who prosecuted the case.

Updated January 26, 2015