Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty To Carjacking

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A Birmingham man Tuesday p[leaded guilty in federal court to charges of carjacking and brandishing a weapon during a violent crime. Tadarrius Lawaun Smith, 23, pleaded guilty to the charges from a December 2019 incident.

Smith entered his plea pursuant to a binding plea agreement with the government, in which the parties jointly recommended a sentence to include 189 months in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for-October 26 before U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon.

According to the plea, on December 4, 2019, Smith carjacked a victim as she was exiting her car in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the Southside area of Birmingham. Smith put a pistol with an extended magazine to her head and made her get back in the car. Smith then drove the car to an unknown location and held a pistol to her head and told her that he was going to kill her, he then assaulted her and demanded money.

Smith drove her to three different ATMs withdrawing $860 and took her Mastercard because it had a high credit limit, according to Smith's plea. Smith then drove to the 900 block of 1st Avenue South and got out of the car and walked away.

The victim drove several blocks down the street, parked and called her daughter, who called police.

Birmingham PD investigators pulled video from the bank and gas station where Smith stopped during the incident. Birmingham police officers arrested Smith when he arrived at the Jefferson County Courthouse for a probation hearing.