Costco Carjacker Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On Tuesday June 27, 2023, TYRESE HARRIS, age 20, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 45 years imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and a $500 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to a five-count superseding indictment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
In Count 1, HARRIS is charged with conspiracy to commit carjackings, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Count 2 and Count 4 charged HARRIS with committing and attempting to commit a carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). Count 3 charged HARRIS with using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) and 2. Count 5 charged HARRIS with committing a carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2119(2) and 2.
From August 19, 2021 to February 1, 2022, HARRIS conspired to commit carjackings. On August 19, 2021, HARRIS committed a carjacking in the 600 block of Washington Avenue in New Orleans, LA. During that incident, HARRIS and two of his co-conspirators used a firearm to threaten the victim and take the vehicle. Two days later the victim’s stolen vehicle was located in New Orleans east with HARRIS and three other occupants inside. HARRIS fled, leading police on a high-speed chase that ended with the victim’s vehicle crashing into a ditch. HARRIS and the vehicle’s three other occupants were eventually apprehended. On January 18, 2022, HARRIS and his co-conspirators attempted to carjack another vehicle at a Howard Avenue gas station. During this attempted carjacking, HARRIS fired his weapon at the victim and the victim’s vehicle. Finally, on February 1, 2022, HARRIS and his co-conspirators carjacked another vehicle belonging to a victim who was pumping gas at a Costco on S. Carrollton Avenue. During the carjacking, the victim was dragged by the car, resulting in serious bodily injury.
“Thanks to AUSA Inga Petrovich and the entire law enforcement team for bringing this prosecution home,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. “TYRESE HARRIS is now off to federal prison for the next forty-five (45) years. His six-month reign of terror, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, is now at an end. Rest assured that when violent crime affects our citizens or businesses, our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will diligently work to bring the offenders to justice.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit.
