Man Charged in Armed Carjacking Outside Lubbock Federal Courthouse

A Lubbock man has been federally charged with armed carjacking after authorities say he brandished a firearm and stole a vehicle in downtown Lubbock last Friday morning.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced the charge on June 1 against the unnamed defendant. The alleged incident occurred May 30 directly adjacent to the federal courthouse and Lubbock County courthouse.

The single-count indictment alleges the man violated 18 U.S.C. § 2119, the federal armed carjacking statute. Conviction carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The statute requires proof that the defendant took a motor vehicle from another person by force and violence or by intimidation while possessing a firearm.

The charge triggers standard federal pretrial procedures in the Northern District of Texas. A federal judge must now determine conditions of release or detention under the Bail Reform Act. If the case proceeds to trial, prosecutors must present evidence to a unanimous jury that the firearm was real and that the taking of the vehicle crossed state lines or affected interstate commerce, the two jurisdictional hooks commonly used in § 2119 prosecutions.

Downstream, the indictment starts a 70-day speedy-trial clock unless the defense waives time or the court finds excludable delays. Federal sentencing guidelines for armed carjacking typically recommend a base offense level of 20 plus enhancements for discharge or brandishing of the firearm, potentially producing a range of 57-71 months or higher depending on criminal history.

The U.S. Probation Office must now prepare a presentence report if the defendant pleads guilty or is convicted.

This prosecution follows a pattern of federal carjacking cases brought by the Northern District of Texas in response to violent crimes occurring near sensitive government locations. The Department of Justice press release issued June 1 contains the sole public details released so far; the defendant’s name has not been disclosed pending arraignment.