Grandview Man Sentenced for Carjacking

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Missouri, man was sentenced in federal court today for carjacking.

Robert J. Rule, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Rule to pay $500 in restitution to his victim.

On July 9, 2021, Rule pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking. Rule admitted that he used a handgun to forcibly take a 2013 Kia Soul from a woman as she was getting ready to back her vehicle out of her driveway. Rule opened the driver’s door and pointed a handgun at the woman. Rule demanded that she get out of the vehicle, then he got in the driver’s seat and drove away.

Kansas City, Mo., police officers tracked the Kia Soul to the area of 11812 NW Plaza Circle in Kansas City. Officers followed Rule as he got into the car and began driving. After a high-speed chase Rule abandoned the vehicle, fled on foot, and was arrested.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.