MINNEAPOLIS — Two Minneapolis men are charged in their connection to numerous violent carjackings and armed robberies targeting rideshare drivers.
Shevirio Kavirion Childs-Young, 18, and William Charles Saffold, 20, are charged with conspiracy, brandishing firearms while committing violent crimes, aiding and abetting carjacking, and aiding and abetting interference with commerce by robbery. The charges were announced Wednesday by Andrew M Luger, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota.
“Last month, along with federal and local law enforcement partners, I announced a new strategy to address the rising violent crime in our communities," said U.S. Attorney Luger in a press release. "Today’s indictment represents an important step forward in that strategy. As alleged, these two defendants led a carjacking ring that engaged in a series of violent, premeditated acts against Uber and Lyft drivers."
According to court documents, Childs-Young and Saffold were allegedly part of a series of carjackings and armed robberies between September 2021 and October 2021 that targeted Uber and Lyft drivers. The documents say Childs-Young and Saffold are believed to be part of a scheme where rideshare drivers would be lured into specific locations and then forced to unlock their cellphones, provide passcodes and transfer money.
Court documents say that the people involved in the conspiracy would tell drivers to go to a specific location to pick up or drop off a passenger. The document alleges that the people would then hold the drivers at gunpoint, where they'd force them to transfer money before stealing the vehicle at gunpoint.
A citywide safety alert was issued last October in Minneapolis after a series of carjackings involving rideshare drivers. According to the Minneapolis Police Department, from mid-August to mid-October, more than 40 drivers were targeted in robberies and/or carjackings.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist:
