A Philadelphia man, Ronald Byrd, has received a sentence of 22 years in federal prison for his role in a brazen armed carjacking of a FedEx truck, which he believed was transporting a significant shipment of cocaine. The sentencing took place on October 3, 2023, as U.S. District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer handed down the penalty, which also includes 10 years of supervised release.
Byrd, aged 37, was found guilty of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during the crime, alongside co-defendant Saikeen Dixon, aged 33, who was sentenced to over 12 years in prison the previous month. The case highlighted a plot that spanned from California to Philadelphia, revealing a dangerous attempt to procure drugs through violent means.
Details of the Armed Carjacking
The incident occurred on August 9, 2022, when a suspicious package was shipped from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc.” at 3401 North Broad Street, an address linked to Temple Hospital. A FedEx driver, referred to in court as J.H., was delivering to the hospital when he began receiving urgent messages from a former FedEx employee, P.A.
When J.H. refused to hand over the package, P.A. allegedly increased the pressure by offering $5,000 in cash. After J.H. reported the attempts to his supervisors, they secured the package in a separate FedEx vehicle and instructed him to continue his deliveries.
However, the situation escalated as a black Jeep Cherokee began to follow J.H. Shortly after, at a red light near the FedEx distribution center in Southwest Philadelphia, Dixon positioned the Jeep in front of the FedEx truck. Byrd exited the vehicle, brandishing a black semi-automatic pistol, and confronted J.H., who fled on foot toward the FedEx facility. Byrd then commandeered the FedEx truck and drove away.
Investigation and Subsequent Findings
After abandoning the truck when he could not access the cargo area, Byrd and Dixon fled in the Jeep, leaving the package behind. A trained narcotics K9 later indicated the presence of drugs in the package, which was later confirmed to contain nine individually wrapped bricks of cocaine, amounting to approximately 9.005 kilograms with an estimated street value of $500,000.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf remarked on the severity of Byrd’s actions, stating, “The defendant was willing to get his shipment of cocaine by any means necessary, stalking and carjacking a FedEx truck at gunpoint on a busy Philly street.” It was revealed that Byrd was on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction at the time of the incident.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs emphasized the risk posed to local residents by such violent conduct and credited the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local agencies in securing the convictions. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force, with support from the Philadelphia Police Department and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Bowerman led the prosecution.
This case underscores the significant dangers associated with drug trafficking and the lengths individuals will go to in pursuit of illegal substances. The lengthy sentences for Byrd and Dixon serve as a warning to others involved in similar criminal enterprises.
