Carjackers sought package of cocaine they believed was inside the vehicle

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ronald Byrd, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 22 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for his role in the armed carjacking of a FedEx truck in August of 2022 and related offenses.

Byrd and co-defendant Saikeen Dixon, 33, also of Philadelphia, were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023. In June of this year, both were convicted at trial of carjacking and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In addition, Byrd was convicted at trial of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. After trial, Byrd also agreed to plead guilty to an additional firearms charge.

Judge Weilheimer sentenced Dixon last month to more than 12 years in prison.

As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 9, 2022, a package was sent from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc” at 3401 North Broad Street, Suite 101, in Philadelphia, which is the address for Temple Hospital.

A FedEx Express driver, J.H., was delivering packages to Temple Hospital on the morning of August 10, 2022. J.H. began receiving phone calls and text messages from a former FedEx Express employee, P.A., asking for a package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc” at Temple Hospital.

After J.H. arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock, P.A. met him there and asked him again for the package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc.” J.H. told P.A. he could not give him the package. P.A. continued asking for it, even offering J.H. $5,000 in exchange. J.H. refused and called his supervisors.

J.H.’s supervisors, R.J. and D.J., arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock driving a FedEx van. They took the package P.A. was asking for onto their FedEx van, told J.H. to do his next round of deliveries at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, which is right next to Temple Hospital.

D.J. saw a black Jeep Cherokee come out of the Temple Hospital loading dock and follow the FedEx truck. P.A. then approached D.J. and asked her if he could have the package that he had asked J.H. for; she told him that he could not.

After finishing his deliveries at Shriners, J.H. drove his FedEx truck south on Broad Street towards the FedEx distribution center at 3600 Grays Ferry Avenue, with D.J. and R.J. following behind in their FedEx van. The black Jeep Cherokee that D.J. had seen continued following J.H.’s FedEx delivery truck.

At a red light about a block from the FedEx facility, the black Jeep, driven by Dixon, pulled in front of the FedEx truck. Defendant Byrd got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at J.H., and approached the driver’s side of the FedEx truck. J.H. jumped out of the passenger side door and ran into oncoming traffic, heading toward the FedEx facility.

Byrd climbed into the FedEx truck and drove westbound across the Grays Ferry Bridge before pulling over at 47th and Linmore in Southwest Philadelphia, with Dixon following him in the Jeep. Byrd tried to open the back of the FedEx truck but could not, so he abandoned the FedEx vehicle and got back into the Jeep, which fled the scene.

After the carjacking, a trained narcotics K9 alerted to the package that P.A. had been asking for and investigators obtained a search warrant. Inside were nine individual packages wrapped in plastic and labeled “DSQUARED2,” each of which weighed approximately one kilogram and field-tested positive for cocaine. Lab testing later confirmed that the packages contained a total of approximately 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $500,000.

“The defendant was willing to get his shipment of cocaine by any means necessary, stalking and carjacking a FedEx truck at gunpoint on a busy Philly street,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “He did all of this in broad daylight — while on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction. Ronald Byrd is clearly a danger to our community with zero regard for the law. This sentence both holds him accountable and makes the city safer.”

“This defendant’s conduct placed Philadelphia residents at risk,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today’s result was made possible by the tireless efforts of the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Together, we remain resolute in disrupting violent criminal activity, preventing further harm, and delivering justice for the victims and communities affected by violence.”

This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.