CLEVELAND — The last of three Cleveland men involved in a violent 2021 carjacking and kidnapping was sentenced this week in federal court, marking the conclusion of a case that involved firearms, abduction, and financial theft.
ANTON WOODLEY, 22, was sentenced Monday to 78 months in federal prison, the final sentencing in a case that also saw his brother, CASHAUN WOODLEY, 24, and co-defendant LAVONTAY JOHNSON, 23, receive prison terms of 100 and 120 months, respectively. All three were ordered to serve three years of supervised release following their prison terms and pay $1,240 in restitution.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on Dec. 12, 2021, after the male victim, visiting downtown Cleveland, met two women who lured him to an apartment building. One of the women alerted the defendants, who waited outside for the victim to leave the building.
When the victim reached his vehicle, the Woodley brothers and Johnson confronted him at gunpoint. One of the men pressed a pistol against the back of the victim’s head and forced him into the backseat. The defendants flanked him with firearms while Johnson drove the vehicle.
During the ride through Cleveland’s east side, the trio demanded money from the victim, forcing him to transfer several hundred dollars and disclose financial information through his cellphone. He was eventually released unharmed on East 80th Street, while the defendants fled in his car.
Later that month, Garfield Heights police recovered the stolen vehicle during a pursuit involving Johnson. He fled on foot and dropped a Glock 23 .40-caliber pistol, which officers recovered along his path.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Cleveland Division of Police, and the Garfield Heights Police Department. Sentencings were imposed by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker over the past eight months.
The trio’s armed abduction and robbery ended with a combined 27 years in federal prison.