Elmer Bonilla, a 23-year-old resident of the District of Columbia, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for his involvement in a violent carjacking conspiracy that spanned the District and Maryland throughout 2024. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court, with Judge Rudolph Contreras presiding.
According to prosecutors, Bonilla pleaded guilty on May 30, 2025, to one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting. His criminal activity included multiple armed carjackings alongside co-conspirators.
On January 24, 2024, Bonilla and two accomplices used an SUV to block a Dodge Challenger in Northwest Washington. Two masked men confronted the driver at gunpoint, assaulted him by punching him in the face, and stole his vehicle.
The following day, Bonilla’s group targeted another victim at a pharmacy parking lot in Hyattsville, Maryland. They used a white Kia Sportage to trap a black BMW before two armed men approached the driver. After opening the door and pointing a gun at him, they demanded the vehicle and drove away with it while their own vehicle followed.
After one member of their group was arrested on January 26, Bonilla participated in an attempt to remove evidence from that individual’s residence. Law enforcement later stopped their SUV as they attempted to leave with items from inside.
Later that summer on August 6 and August 7, Bonilla committed additional thefts including stealing vehicles such as an Infiniti Q50 in Silver Spring—where stolen identification documents were later found—and breaking into another car for valuables. On August 7 specifically, he helped steal a Corvette in Alexandria using an electronic device called an Autel device; police recovered this tool from his possession afterward.
A search warrant executed on August 9 led law enforcement to recover evidence from Bonilla’s home: “a Glock magazine hidden in a crawl space, a 1911-style BB gun, $3,920 in cash, a baggie of white rock-like substance,” as well as “a programmable key fob.”
The investigation involved several agencies including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD), Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD), Alexandria City Police Department (ACPD), and FBI Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caelainn Carney prosecuted the case with help from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced today’s sentencing decision.