District Man Pleads Guilty in Armed Carjacking Spree

Defendant Shot at Officers and Burglarized Residence While Fleeing Police

            WASHINGTON – Tywan Jamad Cummings, 43, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to charges stemming from a May 2020 armed carjacking spree, during which he shot at responding police officers and burglarized a private residence, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

            Cummings pleaded guilty to carjacking; using, possessing, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence; and assaulting, resisting, or interfering with a police officer with a dangerous weapon. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 19, 2024.

            According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of May 17, 2020, in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., the defendant pointed an AR-style rifle at a man who was putting air into his tire, taking the vehicle at gunpoint. The defendant then drove the vehicle into Maryland and, only minutes later, carjacked a nurse outside a hospital in Prince George’s County at gunpoint. Later that evening, in the early morning hours of May 18, 2023, multiple Maryland law enforcement agencies (to include the Bowie, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County Police Departments) pursued the defendant—who was by this time driving a different stolen vehicle—into Southeast Washington, D.C.  MPD officers were also on scene to assist.  The defendant crashed the vehicle near a gas station and, while fleeing on foot, opened fire on the Maryland and MPD police officers with a handgun. Shortly after 2:00 a.m., the defendant burglarized an occupied residence and hid in an upstairs bedroom, where he was arrested without further incident. Officers recovered a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun from the defendant, the AR-style rifle from the stolen vehicle, and over 100 rounds of ammunition. No victim sustained physical injuries during the spree.

            Cummings was arrested May 18, 2020 and has been in custody ever since.

            Carjacking carries a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.  Using, carrying, possessing, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years’ imprisonment—which must run consecutive to the sentence on the carjacking conviction—and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Assaulting, resisting, or interfering with a police officer with a dangerous weapon with a dangerous weapon carries a mandatory minimum term of five years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment and a $75,000 fine.

            A federal judge will determine the appropriate sentenced after considering the applicable guideline range and other relevant factors.

            In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bowie Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez.

            Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant United States Attorneys Emory V. Cole and Paul V. Courtney, who investigated and prosecuted the case.