Rochester Man Going To Prison On Carjacking And Gun Charges

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Devin C. Johnson, Jr., 32, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of carjacking and discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, was sentenced to serve 174 months by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who handled the case, stated that on April 14, 2022, Johnson approached a taxicab driver (Victim) at a gas station on Dewey Avenue and asked for a ride to Lake Avenue and Flower City Park. During the ride, Johnson pressed a handgun against the Victim’s stomach and demanded his cell phone and car keys. The Victim drove back to the gas station and got out of the taxicab with his car keys after a brief struggle inside the vehicle. Johnson grabbed the Victim, threw him to the ground, and forcibly took the car keys from him, striking him twice in the head with the butt end of the handgun. Johnson also pointed the gun at Victim 1 and discharged one round, striking the ground next to the Victim. Johnson then took off in the Victim’s vehicle. A Monroe County Sheriff Sergeant attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the stolen vehicle near Salmon Creek Road in Spencerport, NY. Johnson got out of the vehicle and fled but was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit and turned over to Rochester Police officers. A 9mm pistol, which was reported stolen in South Carolina, was found nearby where Johnson fled.

The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief David Smith, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

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