ST. LOUIS –Brandon Shell, 22, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of armed carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Shell appeared today before United States District Stephen R. Clark, who set sentencing for May 13, 2021.

On October 12, 2019, Shell approached four people who had just exited a Kia Optima near the 3700 block of Juniata in St. Louis. Shell brandished a handgun and demanded the four victims give him all their money. The victims complied. After they did so, Shell further demanded “That’s not all you have, give me the keys!” One of the victims handed Shell the keys to the Optima. Another victim threw several items back in the Optima.

Shell then drove away in the Optima. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department detectives were able to locate Shell driving the Optima, shortly after the carjacking. Shell pulled over in the 5300 block of Oriole in St. Louis. When Shell saw detectives, he ran away from them, but was eventually taken into custody.

Detectives found a loaded .380 caliber Kel-Tec semiautomatic pistol on Shell’s person. He was then arrested and charged.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.

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