A Philadelphia man was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for carjacking a FedEx truck at gunpoint, believing it contained a significant cocaine shipment. Ronald Byrd, aged 37, received his sentence from U.S. District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer on October 3, 2023, following a brazen incident that unfolded in August 2022. Federal prosecutors described the case as a dangerous scheme that extended from California to North Broad Street in Philadelphia.
Byrd, alongside co-defendant Saikeen Dixon, aged 33, was convicted on multiple counts, including carjacking and using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. Both men were indicted in September 2023 and had previously been found guilty at trial in June. Byrd was also convicted of attempting to possess more than five kilograms of cocaine, and he later pled guilty to an additional firearms charge. Dixon was sentenced to over 12 years in prison last month.
The case centers on a suspicious package shipped on August 9, 2022, from a company identified as “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc.”, which is linked to Temple Hospital in Philadelphia. During a delivery to the hospital, a FedEx driver, identified in court as J.H., received repeated calls and messages from a former FedEx employee asking him to hand over the package. When the driver refused, the former employee allegedly offered $5,000 in cash to convince him to comply.
After the driver reported these incidents to his supervisors, they secured the package and instructed him to continue his deliveries. As the FedEx truck departed, a black Jeep Cherokee began following closely. At a traffic light near the FedEx distribution center in Southwest Philadelphia, Dixon positioned the Jeep in front of the FedEx truck. Byrd exited the passenger side, brandishing a black semi-automatic pistol, and approached the driver’s door. The driver fled toward the FedEx facility as Byrd entered the truck and drove away.
Prosecutors revealed that Byrd abandoned the truck after realizing he could not access the cargo area. The pair escaped in the Jeep, leaving the highly sought package behind. A narcotics detection dog later alerted authorities to the package, which was found to contain nine individually wrapped bricks of cocaine, each weighing approximately one kilogram. Laboratory analysis confirmed a total of about 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, valued at an estimated $500,000 on the street.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf expressed the seriousness of Byrd’s actions, stating, “The defendant was willing to get his shipment of cocaine by any means necessary.” He highlighted that Byrd was already on supervised release for a previous federal drug conviction at the time of the carjacking. Metcalf emphasized that this sentence not only holds Byrd accountable but also contributes to making the city safer.
Wayne A. Jacobs, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia office, commented on the violent nature of the crime, noting the risk it posed to residents. He commended the collaborative efforts of federal, state, and local agencies in securing the convictions. The investigation involved the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with support from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigation. The prosecution was led by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Bowerman.
As the case concludes, it highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in combating drug-related violence and crime in urban areas, underscoring the importance of cooperative efforts in addressing such threats.
