Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

DAYTON – Carlos Raymond Alvarez, aka “Rico Finessegod”, 25, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to commit carjacking and gun charges for his role in a scheme that lured a victim through a dating app and stole his car when he showed up for his expected date.

Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Jonathan McPherson, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck, and Colonel Richard S. Fambro of the Ohio State Highway Patrol announced the plea entered yesterday before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.

A federal grand jury indicted Alvarez along with co-defendants A. Philip Thomas Christian Daugherty, 23, of Dayton, Zy’Lique Anaise Murphy, 19 and Zhaire Simone Chardae Evans, 19, both of Columbus, in November 2018. According to court documents, Evans posted messages on internet dating sites soliciting men to meet her for a date. One of the meetings was set for July 6, 2018 in Harrison Township. When the victim arrived, Alvarez and Daugherty pretended to be jilted boyfriends of Evans and Murphy, beat the victim, stole his keys and his car and drove the car to Columbus.  Alvarez fired a handgun he was carrying near the victim as a way to intimidate him.

Alvarez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, punishable by up to five years in prison and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence, punishable by a mandatory minimum of ten years and up to life in prison. Judge Rose scheduled a sentencing hearing for Alvarez for July 24. Charges against the other three defendants remain pending.

U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the cooperative investigation by ATF, the Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Highway Patrol, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Dwight Keller who is representing the United States in the case.

###