Two Bronx men, Diante Fernandes and Mark Francis, have been arrested in connection with a series of recent carjackings in The Bronx and Yonkers, New York. Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York shared the announcement on Wednesday, Sept. 28, adding that that the two appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy on Wednesday and were ordered detained in custody.

According to the allegations in the complaint, and statements made in court, between Sept. 26 and 27, the defendants, Fernandes and Francis, allegedly carjacked, robbed, and kidnapped multiple victims in The Bronx and Yonkers. Once on Sept. 26, and again on Sept. 27, the defendants allegedly lured victims to a location in Yonkers using an ad for a used car posted on Facebook Marketplace.

When the victims arrived, hoping to buy the car, the two allegedly forced the victims into the car they were considering buying, at gunpoint.  They then drove around the New York City area, allegedly forcing the victims to withdraw money from bank accounts and allegedly threatened to kill them if they did not comply.

The defendants allegedly stole the victims’ money, wallets, and phones, and on at least one occasion, they allegedly held a victim captive in the car for several hours. They then allegedly left the victims on the street and allegedly stole the cars which the victims had driven in to arrive at the meeting place.

Fernandes, 19, and Francis, 18, both of The Bronx are charged with carjacking, Hobbs Act robbery, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit these offenses, as well as possessing a firearm during the offenses. If convicted of these charges, the defendants face a potential maximum sentence of life in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress. Any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Westchester County safe streets task force and also thanked the Yonkers Police Department, Westchester County Police Department, Westchester County Real Time Crime Center, and the NYPD.

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains division. Assistant U.S. attorneys, Kingdar Prussien and Josiah Pertz, are in charge of the prosecution.

A person arrested and accused of a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.