Erick Alvarenga, 19, of Washington D.C., has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in two carjackings that occurred days apart in late 2024 and early 2025. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Alvarenga pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, in D.C. Superior Court to one count of unarmed carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for each incident—one on December 28, 2024, and another on January 3, 2025. His co-defendant, Malik Kearney, age 20, also pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2025.
The Honorable Judge Andrea Hertzfeld ordered Alvarenga to serve five years in prison for each firearm charge and seven years for each carjacking charge. The sentences related to the December offense will run at the same time as each other but will be served before those for the January offense.
According to government evidence presented in court, the first carjacking took place around 4:45 a.m. on December 28, when Alvarenga and Kearney approached a victim parked in a Jeep SUV on Eastern Avenue NE. One suspect had a black handgun and they ordered the victim out before taking his vehicle.
On January 3 at about 3:00 p.m., the second incident happened at a gas station on Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE. After refueling his Dodge sedan, the second victim was blocked by the stolen Jeep from the earlier carjacking. Kearney approached with a handgun while Alvarenga drove the Jeep; they forced the victim out and fled with both vehicles.
Both suspects were arrested later that day and have remained in custody since their arrest. Police recovered two firearms from where they were detained; one had its serial number removed while the other was identified as a ghost gun.
Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the sentence.
“In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on it from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Special Agent Nelson Rhone, Jr.”
“Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Randle Wilson and Amanda Hoover, who prosecuted the case.”
