Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced
today that a Palau national has been sentenced in federal court for carjacking
a woman’s vehicle in Anchorage, which led to a vehicle chase during which he
caused a collision with another driver.
Cordy Mai Martin, 26, a citizen of Palau who has been living
in Fairbanks, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, to
serve 11 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Martin
previously pleaded guilty in August 2018 to carjacking and using a firearm
during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to court documents, at around 5:45 a.m. on the
morning of May 4, 2018, in the parking lot of the Alaska Native Medical Center,
Martin approached a young woman as she was walking to work in the hospital.
Martin ran up to her with a stolen Taurus .40 caliber pistol, racked the slide,
and pointed it at her at close range. Martin told her he wanted her keys, which
she gave to him. He then asked her where her car was in the parking lot. The
woman walked a short ways, pointed out her car, and then ran away inside the
hospital.
Martin then drove away in the woman’s vehicle.
Shortly after the carjacking, APD located the woman’s
vehicle and attempted to pull Martin over.
Martin refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued with Martin
driving at high speed, and on the wrong side of the road. Martin did not stop
driving until he collided with another vehicle, causing the other driver to
lose consciousness. The driver of the car hit by Martin was transported from
the scene to the hospital, where he was treated for significant injuries. After
the collision, Martin fled on foot and was arrested after APD K-9 found him
hiding in a boat in a nearby yard.
Martin has a previous felony conviction with the State of
Alaska for Misconduct Involving Weapons in the Third Degree, and was therefore
prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation
leading to the successful prosecution of this case. This case was prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Veldhuis. This case was brought as part of Project
Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been
historically successful in bringing together all levels of
law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for
everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising
violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series
of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the
reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to
develop a district crime reduction strategy that
incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
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