South Carolina Man Sentenced on Federal Carjacking Charge

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant WILLIAM NELSON, age 21, a resident of South Carolina, was sentenced t by U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey to 180 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to a one-count indictment for carjacking, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119.

NELSON and his co-defendant committed a carjacking on January 2, 2022, in the 1000 block of Carondelet Street. NELSON and his co-defendant took the car from the victims using force and intimidation then fled in the stolen vehicle.  During the course of a police chase in which NELSON and his co-defendant hit several vehicles and crashed the stolen vehicle, NELSON fled on foot.  NELSON was arrested after surrendering to police .

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case  is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.