Conspirator in Carjacking Spree Sentenced to 84 Months

            WASHINGTON – Elmer Bonilla, 23, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 84 months in federal prison in connection with his role in a 2024 violent carjacking conspiracy which operated in the District and Maryland and continued even after several members were arrested, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

            Bonilla pleaded guilty on May 30, 2025, before Judge Rudolph Contreras to one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 24, 2024, Bonilla and two co-conspirators were driving an SUV in Northwest when they stopped and blocked a Dodge Challenger. Two of the armed and masked men approached the driver, ordered him to get out, punched him in the face, then stole the car. 

            On Jan. 25, 2024, Bonilla and his co-conspirators were driving in a white Kia Sportage when they pulled the parking lot of a pharmacy in Hyattsville, Maryland. The Kia pulled behind a black BMW and blocked it from leaving. Two armed men in ski masks approached the BMW’s driver, opened the driver’s side door, pointed a gun at the driver’s torso and demanded the car. The gunmen took the BMW, drove it away, and the Kia Sportage followed.

            On Jan. 26, 2024, after the arrest of Bonilla’s, co-defendant, Gregory Giron, Bonilla and two other co-conspirators drove to Giron’s house in a tan SUV. One co-conspirator used a key to enter the Giron’s residence. A few minutes later, the same individual exited the rear of the residence carrying a white trash bag. The co-conspirator got back into the SUV and law enforcement stopped the SUV as it began to drive away.

            The front seat passenger, Dylan Giron, was the same individual who had entered and exited the house, carrying a white trash bag. The driver of the vehicle was Dylan Giron’s girlfriend. Sitting in the backseat were Bonilla and Christian Rodriguez. When Dylan Giron was inside the residence, Bonilla and Rodriguez were directing Dylan Giron to remove evidence via text message.

            Months later, on Aug. 6, 2024, Bonilla and others stole a 2021 Infinity Q50 in Silver Spring, Maryland. At the time it was stolen, the car contained the owner’s ID and bank cards, which were found in a later search of Rodriguez’s residence.

            On Aug. 7, 2024, Bonilla broke into another vehicle in Silver Spring and took a wallet, which was also later found in Rodriguez’s residence. The same day, Bonilla and co-conspirators stole a Corvette in Alexandria, Virginia using an Autel device. The device was later recovered in Bonilla’s car. On Aug. 9, 2024, pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement searched Bonilla’s residence and recovered a Glock magazine hidden in a crawl space, a 1911-style BB gun, $3,920 in cash, a baggie of white, rock-like substance, and a programmable key fob.

            This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, Prince George’s County Police, Baltimore County Police, Alexandria City Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caelainn Carney with assistance provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.

The firearm police recovered from Bonilla’s residence.

A baggie of white, rock-like substance that police recovered from Bonilla’s residence.

A programmable key fob recovered from Bonilla’s residence.

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