Rochester Man Pleads Guilty To Violent Carjacking And Gun Crime

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Jacob Loyd, 21, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cassie Kocher, who is handling the case, stated that at approximately 6:30 p.m. on June 16, 2019, two victims (Victim A and Victim B) were sitting in a vehicle in the area of 115 Gothic Street in Rochester when the defendant and two others approached the vehicle. Loyd pointed a firearm at Victim A’s head and said, “don't do anything stupid, don't look up or I'll blow your head off,” and he ordered the victims to get out of the car. As Victim A exited the car, the defendant struck him in the head with the firearm. Loyd and the two others then drove away in the vehicle. Police officers recovered the vehicle at approximately 8:25 p.m. near 146 Alphonse Street in Rochester. The radio and hubcaps had been removed from the vehicle. The defendant was arrested at approximately 9:30 p.m., near North and Roycroft Streets in Rochester. When taken into custody, Loyd had in his possession 15 bags containing cocaine and a revolver.

The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 17, 2021, at 10:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.