DETROIT – A Detroit man was sentenced today to 145 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to charges of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Dawn Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Josh Hauxhurst, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Ivan Xavier Armstrong, 38, was sentenced before US District Judge Stephen J. Murphy in Detroit.
“Violent offenders like Mr. Armstrong are our focus,” stated US Attorney Ison. “We are committed to bringing the full weight of the justice system to bear on individuals who are making our neighborhoods unsafe and who prey upon our citizens.”
“Mr. Armstrong’s case is the latest in a series of joint investigations that have seen defendants sentenced to significant federal prison sentences,” said Acting Special in Charge Josh Hauxhurst of the FBI’s Detroit Division. “We are committed to working alongside the Detroit Police Department to curb these violent offenses and to bring a sense of safety to our communities.”
According to court records, during the early morning hours of April 3, 2020, Armstrong went on a two-hour violent crime spree that included kicking in the front door of his mother’s house located on the eastside of Detroit, preventing her from leaving the home, damaging her phone and firing shots at her house. Armstrong then left the area on foot and approached a man sitting in his car. Armstrong tapped the window with his gun and ordered the victim to get out the car. Armstrong then racked the gun at which time the victim exited his vehicle. The victim was then robbed of his wallet which contained his retired police officer credentials.
Additional facts presented to the court established that at approximately 5:04 am, Detroit Police responded to a call for shots fired at a gas station, located at 14820 East Jefferson Avenue in the city of Detroit. The shooter was gone at the time of their arrival, however a review of high-definition video taken by numerous cameras installed at the gas station revealed that Armstrong arrived at the gas station in the Hyundai Sonata he had carjacked from the retired police officer. The video from the gas station shows a physical fight ensued and that Armstrong fired a handgun at people inside the store. No one was injured. Later that morning, Armstrong was arrested after having broken into a residence on Alter Rd, in Detroit.
This case was investigated by agents of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeanine Brunson and Caitlin Casey.