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Zamer Williams, 19, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 17 to two counts of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jacqueline Romero said in a news release.
The charges stemmed from two carjackings in south Philadelphia in November 2023, as outlined in court records. A superseding indictment was filed against Williams in April.
According to court documents, the first incident happened at around 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. An Uber driver was picking up a passenger at the Ikea on Columbus Boulevard when he briefly stepped out of his 2016 Mazda CX-5.
Investigators said Williams and an accomplice approached the driver, pulled out a gun, and demanded his keys. After the driver complied, the pair drove away in his vehicle and he borrowed an Ikea employee's phone to call 911.
Two days later, the second carjacking took place at the Wawa on Columbus Boulevard on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. The victim had left her 2016 Ford Fusion SE running while entering the store.
When she saw Williams getting into her car, she ran outside and tried to stop him. Clinging to the driver’s side door as he sped off, the victim held on for about nine feet before she let go and Williams escaped with her vehicle.
Romero also said the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. The program aims to build community trust, support violence prevention organizations, target enforcement, and measure results.
Williams was facing a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison. Prosecutors said he could receive a maximum sentence of life.
Sentencing was scheduled for Tuesday, Mar. 25, 2025.
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