(NewsNation) — The U.S. Justice Department announced two indictments that charge a total of 10 teenagers with conspiracy to commit carjackings in the District of Columbia, in a Monday press conference.
This comes as the city grapples with a rise in violent crime, with carjackings in Washington, D.C., up 107% this year. Recent victims include high-profile individuals including a United Arab Emirates diplomat and Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar.
The two indictments cover over 15 armed carjackings that took place in the nation’s capital. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matt Graves announced.
A federal indictment in the U.S. District Court charged three teenagers with criminal conspiracy connected to 13 carjackings and an indictment in the D.C. Superior Court charged seven teenagers in three armed carjacking and other crimes.
“While these are separate conspiracies, our thorough investigation has found some overlap between these two alleged carjacking rings,” Graves said in the press conference.
The indictments are the latest prosecutorial action stemming from the arrest of 17-year-old Jaelen Jordan in May. Jordan was charged in two carjackings as an adult under Title 16 of D.C. law.
The investigation led law enforcement to uncover evidence which pointed to a broader conspiracy. This investigation ultimately prompted the arrest of the additional teenagers, many of whom were charged as adults under the same D.C. law.
Last month, an FBI agent was carjacked in the nation’s capital by two suspects. The FBI agent told investigators she was in the door-jam of her vehicle when she was approached from behind and “knocked to the ground.”
According to court documents obtained by NewsNation affiliate WDCW, one of the suspects involved was arrested.
Last month, U.S. Rep. Cuellar of Texas was carjacked by three armed attackers less than a mile from the Capitol; last summer, NFL rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. was shot during an attempted robbery or carjacking.
D.C. has had 932 carjackings so far this year, 77% of which involved guns, the Metropolitan Police Department data shows.