Man Pleads Guilty In Congresswoman's Philly Carjacking

PHILADELPHIA — A man has been convicted of carjacking a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in Philadelphia back in 2021.

Josiah Brown, 20, of Wilmington, Delaware, pleaded guilty to carjacking and a related firearms charge in connection with the carjacking of Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon in December 2021, federal authorities confirmed to Patch.

Brown and four other teenagers, all of Delaware, were charged in connection with the Dec. 22, 2021 incident in South Philadelphia's Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park.

The incident occurred at about 2:46 p.m. on the 1900 block of Pattison Avenue at FDR Park.

According to federal authorities, as Scanlon and an associate were speaking near her parked vehicle, an SUV pulled up alongside them and blocked them in.

One suspect got out of the SUV, pointed a gun at Scanlon and demanded the keys to the vehicle and at the same time, a second suspect also got out of the SUV. Scanlon complied, and then both suspects got into the car and drove away on the 2000 block of Pattison Avenue. A third suspect driving the SUV then left, following the stolen car.

Investigators determined that the vehicle contained equipment to track and locate it, which they did later that day in Wilmington, and then in New Castle, Delaware.

Then at about 8:18 p.m., Delaware State Troopers were called to the area of 2800 Fashion Center Boulevard in New Castle, Delaware for a stolen vehicle that was reported to be in the parking lot.

Troopers, with the help of Federal Agencies, found the unoccupied stolen Acura and began conducting active surveillance.

When multiple individuals approached the parked vehicle in the parking lot of the Christiana Fashion Center in New Castle, authorities tried to contact them.

They all tried to flee, but were ultimately apprehended.

Federal authorities said Brown was in possession of the keys to the vehicle.

According to the Inquirer, Brown faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and will be sentenced in June.