A man from East St. Louis, Illinois was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday for a July 12 carjacking in St. Louis.
Brandon Best, 20, was indicted on a carjacking charge and a charge of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Charging documents say Best was one of two men who took a woman’s 2011 Kia Optima at gunpoint early on the morning of July 12. The woman told officers of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department that she was confronted by two armed men when she opened the door of her car, which had been parked in the 1000 block of Geyer Avenue. One man demanded her keys before fleeing in her vehicle.
The victim’s Kia was spotted driving into East St. Louis and chased by police there back to St. Louis, where Best was arrested near Interstate 44 and South Jefferson Avenue. A black, semi-automatic 9mm pistol was found nearby, charging documents say.
Best was charged by complaint on October 4 with the same offenses.
The carjacking charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The firearm charge is punishable by at least seven years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the FBI and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Dunkel is prosecuting the case.
