WASHINGTON - 45-year-old District man, Reginald Ford, has been found guilty of Kidnapping while Armed, Carjacking while Armed, and related charges for his role in carjacking and kidnapping another District man at gun point in the 1800 block of Kenyon Street, NW, on January 13, 2008, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor announced today.

On November 21, 2008, after a five-day jury trial, a D.C. Superior Court jury found Ford guilty of Kidnapping while Armed; Carjacking while Armed; Armed Robbery; Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime of Violence or Dangerous Offense; First Degree Identity Theft; Second Degree Identity Theft; Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle; and Threats. At sentencing, the defendant faces a possible penalty of up to 60 years of incarceration under the Superior Court Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines. Sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2009, before the Honorable Gregory Jackson.

At trial, the government's evidence established that on Sunday evening, January 13, 2008, the victim was in his car leaving to go to dinner at his father's house. As he began to pull out from his parking space on Kenyon Street, NW, the defendant knocked on his window and asked the victim for some money. After the victim gave him some change, the defendant displayed a black handgun and told the victim to get out of the car. A neighbor across the street saw the defendant blocking the victim's car, and called out to him to make sure everything was okay. The defendant then told the victim to move over and got into the driver's seat. An unknown accomplice entered the back seat and the defendant drove off.

With the victim held captive in his own car, the defendant drove to Alexandria, VA, where he stopped at a 7-11 to get money with the victim's ATM card. While the defendant and his accomplice argued about who should go into the store, the victim escaped and ran to a nearby gas station to get help. The defendant and his accomplice drove off, and later used the victim's ATM card to withdraw money from two ATM machines. The defendant was caught the next day in the victim's car in Prince George's County, MD.

In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Taylor commended the work of MPD Detectives David Somach and Richard Hamilton of the Violent Crimes Branch, Officers Angel Vazquez and Ivan Quiles of the Third District, Technician Mary Turner Wise of the Mobile Crime Unit, Fingerprint Analyst Lisa Lewis, Alexandria Police Department Officer John East, and Prince George's County Officer Errol Lobin. He also commended Paralegal Specialist Kalisha Johnson-Clark, Timothy Linder and Joseph Calvarese of the Litigation Technology Section, and Victim Witness Advocates James Brennan and Franklin Perry. Finally, he commended Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamila Hoard and Jeremy Barber, who investigated and prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Costello, who investigated and indicted the case.