Two Minneapolis Men Sentenced for Armed Carjacking

ST PAUL, Minn. – Two Minneapolis men have been sentenced for 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, T’Shawn Teon Palton, then 20, Jamal Timothy Funchess, 18, and a then-juvenile at the time of the offence 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 short distance, 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.

Palton and Funchess pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on May 22, 2023, to one count each of carjacking.

On September 15, 2023, Palton and Funchess were sentenced by Senior Judge Susan Richard Nelson. Palton received 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Funchess received 100 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

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 prosecuted the case.