A Hyattsville man has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for his involvement in a series of armed carjackings and vehicle thefts across the metropolitan area, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Christian Rodriguez, 21, was sentenced in U.S. District Court after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.
The offenses took place between December 2023 and August 2024, culminating in a brazen carjacking spree that involved violent confrontations. Court documents reveal that on January 24, 2024, Rodriguez and co-conspirators executed an armed carjacking in Northwest Washington, where two masked assailants assaulted a driver and threatened them with a firearm. The group fled the scene with the victim’s vehicle and personal belongings. In an attempt to cover their tracks, Rodriguez later instructed a co-conspirator to remove evidence from a residence following the arrest of another accomplice.
The criminal activities continued into August 2024, with Rodriguez participating in the theft of a 2021 Infiniti Q50 and two vehicle break-ins, including the theft of a Corvette in Alexandria, Virginia. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rodriguez’s home on August 9, 2024, where they uncovered a cache of weapons, ammunition, and stolen property linked to the thefts.
The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caelainn Carney prosecuted the case. Following the sentencing, the U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized the ongoing efforts to combat violent crime in the region.
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