Armed Carjacker Sentenced to 7 Years

Charlotte -- According to Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Jermaine Lee Moss, 21, of Charlotte, was sentenced to seven years in prison,

followed by five years of supervised release, for having a gun during a carjacking.

Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today's statement (CMPD).

Moss carjacked a victim at gunpoint on September 18, 2020, about 8:00 a.m., according to court testimony and records that were filed. The victim first reported that two men were taking parcels off of his neighbor's porch to CMPD. CMPD officers were informed by dispatchers that the service call had turned to an armed robbery while they were on their way to investigate the situation. Moss reportedly noticed the victim and approached his car thereafter, according to court records and the victim's statement. Moss then instructed the victim to exit the vehicle while brandishing a gun. The victim was also told to reset his phone by Moss. Moss threatened to kill the victim if he disobeyed when the victim said he did not know how to do that. Moss then escaped with the victim's phone while traveling in the victim's car.

According to court records, Moss was there when police discovered the stolen car parked outside a convenience shop. Moss refused the officer's commands when a CMPD officer approached him. Police discovered a.40 caliber semi-automatic weapon in Moss's pants pocket during the arrest. Moss was on probation with the state of North Carolina at the time of the carjacking due to a Common Law Robbery conviction.

Moss is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.

The ATF and CMPD handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

WNCTIMES by Marjorie Farrington