RICHMOND, VA – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Maryland man with the kidnapping and carjacking of a woman in Henrico County in September 2019.
According to allegations in the indictment, on Sept. 18, 2019, Devon Allen Odell Scott, 38, of Edgewood, abducted a woman for the purpose of committing a sexual assault on and robbery of that same victim, and after traveling from Maryland to Virginia in furtherance of that offense. In the course of the kidnapping, Scott forcibly carjacked the victim’s vehicle with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm to that victim.
Scott is charged with carjacking and kidnapping. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett and Peter S. Duffey are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.