Carjacker Sentenced To More Than 15 Years In Prison

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A Birmingham man convicted of carjacking was sentenced Tuesday to more than 15 years in federal prison. Tadarrius Lawaun Smith pleaded guilty in July to carjacking and for brandishing a firearm during the carjacking.

According to the plea agreement, on December 4, 2019, Smith carjacked the 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, court records said. Smith then drove to the 900 block of 1st Avenue South, 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 Police investigators pulled video from the bank and a gas station where Smith stopped during the incident. Birmingham police officers arrested Smith several days later when he arrived at the Jefferson County Courthouse for a probation hearing.

"The fear that Smith imposed on this innocent victim is unimaginable," U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona said. "Because of the hard work of the Birmingham Police Department and the ATF, this offender has been brought to justice."