Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Two men were sentenced to decades in prison, following their participation in a carjacking spree in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. 

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Hugo J. Barrera, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), J.D. Patterson Jr., Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), Sergio Velazquez, Chief, City of Hialeah Police Department, and Tomas Sanchez, Interim Chief, City of Hollywood Police Department, made the announcement.

Ty West, 19, and Demetrius Bain, 19, both of Miami-Dade County, were sentenced by  United States District Court Senior Judge James Lawrence King to consecutive terms of imprisonment totaling 32 years and 35 years respectively, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, carjacking and brandishing firearms during a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 2119(1) and 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).  Upon completion of their prison sentences, the defendants will be placed on supervised release. West will be on supervised release for a period of five years and Bain for ten years.

According to court documents and information provided in court, on June 19, 2014, West was in the City of Hialeah when he brandished a firearm and threatened to kill the vehicle occupants before he took possession of the car.  Days later, on June 26, 2014, West was seen running through private property with a firearm, in Miami-Dade County.  Police arrested West and recovered the firearm.  However, police were not yet aware of West’s involvement in the earlier carjacking and he was released from state custody.

On July 14, 2014, in the City of Hialeah, Bain and West brandished firearms, ordered a couple from their vehicle, and then stole the victims’ car.  A few hours later, West and Bain would later use the stolen vehicle to facilitate the carjacking of a young mother in Broward County.  The defendants drove to a residential neighborhood in Hollywood, Florida.  As the victim attempted to retrieve her child from the vehicle, Bain approached, brandishing a firearm and demanded that the mother give him her purse.  Bain removed the keys from the purse and entered the victim’s vehicle.  Just moments before the defendant drove away in the stolen car, the victim was able to recover her child from the vehicle.  Police later observed West driving the stolen vehicle in Miami-Dade County.  An investigation by law enforcement, including fingerprint examinations and eyewitness statements, linked both West and Bain to the offenses for which they previously pleaded guilty. 
 
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the ATF, MDPD, City of Hialeah Police Department, and City of Hollywood Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Breezye Telfair.
 
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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