KDY Crew Member Sentenced for Violent Crime Spree Spanning Three Months

            WASHINGTON – Tyrell Jordan Stewart, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison today for a string of armed carjackings and sprees of violent armed robberies that he committed with two co-defendants in the District and Suburban Maryland during in 2022.

            The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the Washington Field Office; Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police (MPD); ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Washington Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and Chief Marcus G. Jones, of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department.

Stewart pleaded guilty on September 15, 2023, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce, also known as a Hobbs Act robbery; conspiracy to commit carjacking; and armed robbery.

            According to the plea paperwork, Stewart admitted to personally participating in the armed robberies of six individuals, five businesses and/or their employees, and two armed carjackings. Stewart admitted to personally discharging his weapon during one of the commercial robberies.

            In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Stewart to serve five years of supervised release and to pay $2,746.00 in restitution.

            “This defendant was a member of the Kennedy Street Crew, also known as KDY—a crew that has had numerous members who have been charged with crimes of violence and drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “The people engaging in these carjacking and armed robbery sprees are among the most dangerous people in our community.  Anyone thinking this kind of conduct is not a big deal is wrong: violent sprees, end with sentences like this.”   

            Had the case gone to trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Stewart and his two charged co-defendants conspired to a string of robberies and carjackings of individuals and businesses in the Washington D.C. metro area. Specifically, Stewart and his two charged co-defendants committed five commercial robberies, two armed carjackings, and at least 12 armed robberies over the course of their conspiracy.

            “It is our hope that the results of today’s announcement sends a clear message to others that are committing similar acts of violence such as robberies and armed car jackings in the District; that they too may face similar consequences for their actions,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kailimai. “I am proud that our agents and partnering agencies worked tirelessly to bring justice to those responsible.”

            According to the government’s evidence, Stewart and his co-defendants are members of the Kennedy Street Crew or KDY, a violent street gang that operates in the Kennedy Street neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. KDY is among the largest crews in Washington, D.C. based on both territory and its vast membership.

            The defendant and his co-conspirators’ violent spree occurred over the first three months of 2022. The conspirators typically planned their robberies the night before and executed early in the morning. In order to avoid detection from law enforcement, the defendants typically began a day’s robberies by stealing a vehicle to then utilize in their subsequent robberies. If the vehicle was occupied or if the owner was close by, the men would use firearms, force, and intimidation to carjack it. After the sprees, the men sold the vehicles for added profit. A hallmark of the defendants’ robberies were the use of force and/or violence against their victims.

            On February 20, 2022, for instance, Stewart and his co-conspirators stole a Honda Ridgeline truck in Silver Spring, Md., shortly before 6 a.m. Less than an hour later, police received multiple reports of suspects in a black Ridgeline truck in attempting to break into other vehicles. That same morning, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) officers responded to a convenience store on the 3500 block of University Boulevard West, in Kensington, Md. Victims reported that three armed men had entered the store and robbed the cashier of currency and a cell phone. One of the gunmen held a handgun to a customer’s right temple. As the robbery progressed, one of the gunmen fired a round into the store. One of the armed men grabbed the customer’s car keys from his left pants pocket, and all three suspects fled in the customer’s Lexus SUV.

            That same morning, MCPD officers separately responded to an armed robbery of a mini market on the 4800 block of Boiling Brook Parkway, in Rockville, Md. This time, Stewart discharged his firearm to intimidate the cashier into complying with his demands. All three armed men fled the store in what appeared to be the same stolen Ridgeline used earlier. At 7:25 a.m., an MCPD officer spotted the stolen Ridgeline and stolen Lexus SUV and pursued the vehicles southbound on 16th Street towards the District at speeds topping 100 m.p.h. The MCPD officer ultimately lost sight of both vehicles. That same morning, Stewart and his co-conspirators committed an armed robbery of someone waiting at a bus stop in the 7700 block of Georgia Avenue NW, one block from the D.C./Maryland line. The defendant and his co-conspirator placed the victim in a chokehold while the other pistol-whipped the victim in the face. The two then stole the victim’s wallet.

            The prosecution of Stewart, along with his two codefendants, are part of an ongoing coordinated law enforcement investigation into the Kennedy Street Crew, also known as “KDY.” The multi-year investigation reflects the efforts of nearly every federal law enforcement agency in the District of Columbia, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division.

            The investigation of this case had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.

            The case is being investigated by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department and the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department.

            The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was also provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lynch.