A St. Louis man has been sentenced to over 26 years in federal prison for his involvement in a series of carjackings that took place in the city in 2022. U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp handed down a 319-month sentence to Jaylen Mays, 28, on Tuesday.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Mays participated in three separate carjackings within an eight-day period, less than six months after being released from parole for a previous carjacking conviction. The first incident occurred on November 5, 2022, when Mays and others stole a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu from the downtown business district.
On November 11, Mays and Quinn Turner carried out another carjacking at gunpoint, taking a 2007 Chevrolet Impala. Two days later, Turner drove the previously stolen Malibu with Mays and a juvenile to a gas station at Russell Boulevard and South 7th Street in the Soulard neighborhood. There, a juvenile riding with them committed another carjacking by stealing a 2017 GMC Terrain and the driver’s wallet.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Anti-Crime Task Force used spike strips to stop the Malibu as it left the gas station. Officers found Turner, Mays, and the juvenile inside the vehicle.
In court documents, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin noted: “Carjackings create a real fear in the surrounding community and dissuade local residents from visiting the areas where the crimes occur.”
Both Turner and Mays are from East St. Louis, Illinois. They were each convicted of two counts of carjacking with intent to cause death or serious bodily harm as well as two charges related to possession and brandishing of a firearm during a violent crime. Mays was also convicted of an additional carjacking charge.
Judge Schelp previously sentenced Turner, now 23 years old, on July 22 to more than 19 years (230 months) in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Martin and Jennifer Szczucinski.
