A Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Carjacking FedEx Truck Amid Cocaine Trafficking Scheme
Ronald Byrd, 37, of Philadelphia, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for his role in carjacking a FedEx truck in August 2022. The incident, which targeted a package containing $500,000 worth of cocaine, was part of an elaborate scheme orchestrated by Byrd and his co-conspirator Saikeen Dixon.
According to prosecutors, Byrd planned to steal the package by any means necessary, including stalking and carjacking the FedEx truck on busy streets. On the day of the incident, a FedEx driver was delivering packages to Temple University Hospital when he received calls and text messages from a former employee requesting the package. The driver refused to comply, leading Byrd to resort to more drastic measures.
Byrd forced the driver to stop at a red light in his truck, and as they approached the FedEx loading station, Dixon pulled up behind them in a black Jeep Cherokee. Byrd exited the vehicle and pointed a semi-automatic pistol at the driver, who jumped out of his truck and ran towards the facility. The chase continued until Byrd drove the FedEx truck across the Grays Ferry Bridge before eventually fleeing with Dixon.
The package, which had been shipped from California, was discovered to contain nine individually wrapped plastic packages of cocaine. Both Byrd and Dixon were charged in September 2022, with Byrd having been on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction at the time of the carjacking.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf described Byrd as "clearly a danger to our community" who showed "zero regard for the law." The sentence, he added, holds Byrd accountable and makes the city safer.
Ronald Byrd, 37, of Philadelphia, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release for his role in carjacking a FedEx truck in August 2022. The incident, which targeted a package containing $500,000 worth of cocaine, was part of an elaborate scheme orchestrated by Byrd and his co-conspirator Saikeen Dixon.
According to prosecutors, Byrd planned to steal the package by any means necessary, including stalking and carjacking the FedEx truck on busy streets. On the day of the incident, a FedEx driver was delivering packages to Temple University Hospital when he received calls and text messages from a former employee requesting the package. The driver refused to comply, leading Byrd to resort to more drastic measures.
Byrd forced the driver to stop at a red light in his truck, and as they approached the FedEx loading station, Dixon pulled up behind them in a black Jeep Cherokee. Byrd exited the vehicle and pointed a semi-automatic pistol at the driver, who jumped out of his truck and ran towards the facility. The chase continued until Byrd drove the FedEx truck across the Grays Ferry Bridge before eventually fleeing with Dixon.
The package, which had been shipped from California, was discovered to contain nine individually wrapped plastic packages of cocaine. Both Byrd and Dixon were charged in September 2022, with Byrd having been on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction at the time of the carjacking.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf described Byrd as "clearly a danger to our community" who showed "zero regard for the law." The sentence, he added, holds Byrd accountable and makes the city safer.