PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, MD — Ten young adults from Prince George’s County have been charged in connection to a string of carjackings that happened in Washington, D.C., and Maryland while they were teenagers.

The carjacking rings involved the suspects holding the victims at gunpoint in Washington, D.C., and Maryland, stealing their vehicles and then selling them. The victims include a mother loading her children into her car in front of their elementary school, an elderly couple arriving at their home and a rideshare driver who was shot, according to investigators.

“Carjackings are among the most violent crimes we prosecute,” said U.S. Attorney Matt Graves. “The overwhelming majority arrested for carjacking are juveniles and many of the adults are themselves teenagers. To the teenagers fueling these crimes, know that there is no such thing as a ‘free ride.’ Masks will not protect you. We will track you down and aggressively pursue the charges that fit the crime in our continuing effort to make the community safe – including charging juveniles as adults where appropriate – and bringing federal charges.”

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the two indictments Monday, targeting carjacking rings that they say the 10 young adults are responsible for that includes than 15 armed carjackings. United States District Court has charged three of the individuals with 13 carjackings, and an indictment in D.C. Superior Court has charged seven individuals with three armed carjackings.

“While these are separate conspiracies, our thorough investigation has found some overlap between these two alleged carjacking rings,” Graves said at a press conference.

Five of the seven defendants who were younger than 18 years old at the time of the reported crimes are being charged as adults, officials said at the news conference.

Cedae Hardy, the lead defendant in the federal indictment, who was indicted in August 2023 on 18 counts, has been charged with 11 additional counts, including an attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury for allegedly shooting a rideshare driver multiple times.

“The number of armed carjackings Cedae Hardy and his co-conspirators are alleged to have committed is truly astonishing,” said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The indictment illustrates the ruthlessness with which these carjackers selected vulnerable targets of opportunity as their victims, including a dentist on her way to work; a mother buckling her young children into her vehicle in front of an elementary school; an elderly couple pulling into the driveway of their home; and a rideshare driver who was allegedly shot by Hardy.”

Jaelen Jordan, 18, and Warren Montgomery, 19, both of Washington, D.C., along with Byron Gillum, also known as Bryon Gillum, 18, Isaiah Flowers, 18, Jahkai Goff, 19, Taj Giles, 18, and Irshaad Ellis-Bey, 18, all of Prince George’s County, have been charged in a 19-count indictment arising from a conspiracy to commit armed carjackings in an around the District of Columbia between February and May 2023. The conspiracy charges 90 acts including multiple carjackings and robberies in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Jordan, Montgomery, Gillum, Flowers, Goff, Giles and Ellis-Bey also were charged with the armed carjackings committed in the District plus trafficking stolen property. Jordan was arrested on May 17 following an investigation. Montgomery and Gillum were arrested on warrants on Oct. 10 and Goff, Giles and Ellis-Bey were arrested on Dec. 7. All defendants have been detained since their arrest. The seventh defendant, Isaiah Flowers, is detained in Prince George’s County on separate charges.

The defendants will be arraigned Dec. 14.