A Lafayette man pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking in federal court last week.
Manuel King, 30, admitted to carjacking three different people in Lafayette in February 2019. He admitted to carjacking a Jeep from a man in a Wal-Mart parking lot, using a 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He took the victim's wallet and drove off in the vehicle.
A short time later, King crashed the Jeep and carjacked a second person, crashed that car, and carjacked a third person. After a police pursuit, he crashed the third vehicle into a pond.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Lafayette Police Department, and Lafayette City Marshal’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays presided over the hearing and set sentencing for June 18, 2020. For each count, King faces up to 15 years in federal custody, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
