| PRINCE GEORGE'S MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL CARJACKING, FIREARMS CHARGES Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Sean Franklin Mills, Jr., 21, of Capital Heights, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for carjacking and use, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, and Chief George Nader, Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD). According to the guilty plea, from November 27, 2022, thru December 19, 2022, Mills and a co-conspirator carjacked six victims at gunpoint in Prince George's County, Maryland. On November 27, Mills and a co-conspirator — who were dressed in all-black clothing and wearing ski masks — approached Victim 1 and carjacked his 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 approached from a rear alley, pointing handguns at him. Mills, who pointed a greenish-tan pistol, began to chase the victim. After Victim 1 tripped and fell, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 demanded his keys. In fear for his life, Victim 1 relinquished the keys and then Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 entered the vehicle and fled the scene. On December 4, Mills, armed with a black handgun, spotted Victim 2 at a Capitol Heights, Maryland gas station. Mills, who was wearing a black ski mask, black shirt, and grey sweatpants, ran across the street to the gas station as Victim 2 fueled his 2013 Honda Accord. Mills then pointed a black handgun at Victim 2 and demanded the keys to the vehicle. Victim 2 told Mills the keys were inside the vehicle and then Mills demanded that he remove the gas pump from the Accord before entering the vehicle and fleeing the scene. Then on December 6, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 arrived at a Hyattsville, Maryland gas station in an older model gray Honda Accord that was consistent with the vehicle Mills carjacked on December 4. They pulled up next to Victim 3 who was sitting in a 2022 Toyota Camry. Mills wearing all-black clothing, jumped out of the front passenger seat, pointed a black handgun at Victim 3, and demanded Victim 3's Camry. Victim 3, in fear for his life, complied. Mills entered Victim 3's vehicle and drove away. Co-Conspirator 1 followed Mills in the stolen Accord. Two days later, on December 8, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 carjacked a vehicle in Temple Hills, Maryland. As Victim 4 entered his 2021 Toyota Camry, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 pulled up in a gray sedan. Mills, armed with a black and silver handgun with an extended magazine — and wearing a face mask, sunglasses, dark gray hoodie, black sweatpants, and sandals — exited the vehicle and approached Victim 4. Mills pointed the handgun at Victim 4 and demanded Victim 4's car and cell phone. In fear for his life, Victim 4 complied and gave Mills the Camry. Mills got in the Camry and drove off while Co-Conspirator 1 followed behind him in the gray sedan. Then on December 19, Mills and his co-conspirator committed two more carjackings. Mills and his co-conspirator approached Victim 5 as he delivered a DoorDash meal in Landover, Maryland. Mills and his co-conspirator drove up behind Victim 5 in a silver sedan. Then Mills jumped out, wearing all-black clothing and a mask, armed with a black handgun. Mills pointed the handgun at Victim 5 and demanded the keys to Victim 5's 2022 Toyota Corolla. Victim 5, in fear for his life, complied. Mills then entered the Corolla and fled the scene while Co-Conspirator 1 followed behind in the gray sedan. A couple of hours later, Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 carjacked a vehicle in Hyattsville, Maryland. Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 arrived in a gray Honda Accord. Mills approached Victim 6 as he sat in his parked 2020 Toyota Highlander. Then Mills pointed a black handgun at Victim 6 and demanded his vehicle and money. In fear for his life, Victim 6 complied. Mills entered the Toyota Highlander and fled the scene while Co-Conspirator 1 followed in the gray Honda Accord. On December 20, law enforcement, used GPS tracking information to conduct surveillance on Mills. Within a short distance of Mills's residence, law enforcement spotted the Toyota Highlander that Mills carjacked the previous day. Then on December 21, PGPD officers and helicopter team surveilled New Carrollton, Maryland, where they found Mills and Co-conspirator 1 in the stolen gray Accord. PGPD officers conducted a tactical stop on the vehicle and ordered Mills and Co-Conspirator 1 out of the vehicle. Inside of the vehicle, officers recovered two loaded handguns. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI and the PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Dawn Williams who is prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach. # # # |
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