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Press Release

Two Minneapolis Men Plead Guilty to Armed Carjacking

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota

ST PAUL, Minn. – Two Minneapolis men have pleaded guilty to carjacking, kidnapping, and holding a victim at gunpoint for several hours, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to court documents, on the evening of February 14, 2023, Jamal Timothy Funchess, 18, T’Shawn Teon Palton, 21, and a juvenile posted an advertisement on Facebook Marketplace to purportedly sell an iPhone. The victim responded and made arrangements to buy the phone. The victim and the purported seller agreed to meet at a location in Columbia Heights. When the victim arrived at the location and was still in the car, Palton and the juvenile approached. The juvenile had a gun and hit the victim in the face with the firearm. The men ordered the victim to the backseat of the car. The men then got into the victim’s car, drove a few blocks, and picked up Funchess.

For several hours, the three men drove the victim’s car around the Twin Cities, holding the victim at gunpoint in the backseat. Each of the three men at some point held the firearm and pointed it at the victim. During this time, they demanded that the victim surrender his cell phone, wallet, credit cards, and banking information. They drove to several gas stations around the Twin Cities in an attempt to use the victim’s cards to withdraw money. Toward the end of the ordeal, the three men discussed what to do with the victim and openly talked about murdering him. Eventually, they dropped the victim on a road in St. Paul and drove away in the victim’s car. The victim ran to a nearby gas station and borrowed an employee’s cell phone to call 911.

Officers were able to use the location of the victim’s stolen cell phone to find Palton, Funchess, and the juvenile, along with the victim’s stolen car and possessions.

Funchess and Palton pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Senior Judge Susan Richard Nelson to one count each of carjacking. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bloomington Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is prosecuting the case.

Updated May 22, 2023

Topics
Violent Crime
Firearms Offenses