Miami, Florida – Jorge Aponte Figueroa (“Aponte Figueroa”), 25, of Miami, Florida, was found guilty by a Miami jury of one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence after a trial presided by United States District Court Judge Marcia G. Cooke.
According to trial evidence, in May 2017, Aponte Figueroa, along with two co-conspirators, carjacked, at gunpoint, an Uber driver who was sleeping in his minivan. The evidence at trial showed that, after driving the victim throughout Miami-Dade County, Aponte Figueroa and his co-conspirators stole the victim’s wallet at gunpoint, after which Aponte Figueroa shot the victim seven times, including several shots at close range to the victim’s head while Aponte Figueroa straddled the victim’s body, to prevent the victim from serving as a witness.
Sentencing has been set for June 15, 2022. Aponte Figueroa still faces more charges in the Southern District of Florida for his participation in a serial Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy. That trial is set for August of 2022. As to those charges, Aponte Figueroa is innocent unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Miami Field Office, and George A. Perez, Interim Director, Miami-Dade Police Department, made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Gonzalez commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI Miami and the Miami-Dade Police Department in this matter. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Jodi Anton.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 17-cr-20487.
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