United States of America v. Bradley C. McKinney

St. Louis, Missouri criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with

St. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced a man who carjacked and robbed two people in St. Louis to 19 years in prison.



Shortly after midnight on July 29, 2023, Bradley C. McKinney and an accomplice were both armed with handguns when they approached two people who had just gotten out of a 2015 Chevy Cruze near the intersection of 16th Street and Lucas Avenue. The robbers rummaged through the victims' pockets and took the keys to the Cruze and other valuables. McKinney got into the Cruze with another accomplice and sped off, accompanied by some of McKinney's associates in a white GMC Terrain.



After the victims called police, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) determined both vehicles had crossed into Illinois. Investigators identified the GMC Terrain and put out a "wanted” for both vehicles. The Cruze was found abandoned later that morning in East St. Louis with the key still in the ignition.



The next day, the RTCC received a license plate recognition hit for the GMC Terrain, and officers used a spike strip to deflate several tires. McKinney was the driver and sole occupant. Officers spotted a black Glock handgun with an extended magazine and an auto-sear, or "switch,” installed, making it a machinegun. McKinney admitted owning the firearm, knowing that he was a convicted felon and prohibited from doing so.



McKinney, 36, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in August to carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and possession of a machine gun.



The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the East St. Louis Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Zachary Bluestone prosecuted the case.



This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.