Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Carjacking at Suburban Chicago Gas Station Leads to Federal Charge
CHICAGO — A man has been charged in federal court with carjacking a vehicle at gunpoint last week while two children were in the car.
The alleged carjacking occurred on the afternoon of July 27, 2022, at Thorntons gas station, 14840 S. Western Ave. in Posen, Ill. The victim was entering the driver’s seat of her Kia Optima when KEWAN A. TILLMAN approached, pointed a loaded handgun at her, and demanded the key, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The victim got the two children out the vehicle before Tillman stole the car and drove off, the complaint states. Tillman quickly lost control of the vehicle, got out, and ran back toward the gas station, the complaint states. Tillman unsuccessfully attempted to force entry into a parked semi-trailer before placing the handgun in a sewer and then trying to force his way into another vehicle, the complaint states. The driver of that vehicle pushed Tillman to the ground, and Posen Police officers arrested him, the complaint states.
The officers then discovered the handgun in the sewer, the complaint states. A “sear switch” was allegedly affixed to the gun, which could make it capable of firing more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger.
Tillman, 19, of Calumet City, Ill., is charged with one count of carjacking. He is currently in law enforcement custody. An initial appearance in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The complaint was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Kristen de Tineo, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Substantial assistance was provided by the Posen Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth.
The federal investigation into the carjacking remains ongoing.
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The carjacking charge is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
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