Julan Byrd, 18, from Temple Hills, Maryland, received a fully suspended sentence on Friday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia following an armed carjacking incident that took place in September 2024. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Byrd was seventeen at the time of the offense and faced charges under Title 16. He pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, to one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. During his sentencing on February 27, 2026, federal prosecutors requested seven years in prison—the maximum recommended by sentencing guidelines—followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Jennifer DiToro instead issued a fully suspended sentence of 60 months with one year of supervised probation.
The court based its decision on the Youth Rehabilitation Act, which allows sentences below mandatory minimums for certain offenses involving young offenders. This decision came despite objections from prosecutors who argued for stricter penalties. “The Court’s sentence was entered pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, which permits a sentence beneath the mandatory minimum term of five years of incarceration for armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence,” according to the statement.
Byrd’s co-defendant Antonio Kent, aged 20 and from Washington D.C., also received a fully suspended sentence earlier this year after pleading guilty to similar charges. Prosecutors again sought seven years’ imprisonment followed by three years’ supervision but Judge DiToro sentenced Kent under the same act to 48 months suspended with two years’ probation.
Both Byrd and Kent spent time in custody prior to their sentencing dates—Byrd was held from his arrest on September 30 until October 4, when he was released with electronic monitoring; Kent remained detained from February 28, 2025 until his January sentencing in 2026. If they complete their probation periods without violations, neither will serve additional jail time.
Court documents state that on September 1, Byrd, Kent and another suspect approached an individual washing his car in Northeast Washington D.C., brandished a gun and stole his vehicle keys before fleeing in his car. The stolen vehicle was later driven to Pentagon parking lot where suspects abandoned it and ran away on foot; both Byrd and Kent discarded handguns as they fled. When apprehended by police officers soon after the incident, Byrd had the victim’s key lanyard around his neck.
Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll from Metropolitan Police Department joined U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing these outcomes. Both officials recognized efforts by local law enforcement agencies including Arlington County Police Department, Pentagon Force Protective Agency and Virginia State Police for their roles in investigating and making arrests related to this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Roberts and former Assistant United States Attorney Luca Winer prosecuted these cases.
