A 27-year-old Baltimore man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for an armed carjacking at a local gas station, followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar handed down the sentence to Ron Wardlow following his April 2026 jury conviction. Wardlow was found guilty of carjacking, using and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a prohibited person. Wardlow was previously convicted of a robbery at the same gas station where officers later arrested him.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the sentence alongside officials from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Baltimore Police Department, and the Baltimore County Police Department.
Trial evidence showed that on February 27, 2025, Wardlow approached two people at a Fells Point gas station while wearing a mask and gloves. He asked them for a ride, but the driver refused.
Wardlow then followed the driver around the car, pulled out a 9mm Glock loaded with a 31-round extended magazine, and pointed it at the victim while demanding the keys. The driver handed over the keys, and Wardlow drove away.
The victims called 911 and began tracking digital devices they had left inside the stolen vehicle. When the tracking signal stopped in the Liberty Heights neighborhood, the victims went to the location and found the car still running. As they approached, the vehicle backed up and drove off, prompting the victims to alert police a second time.
Officers with the Regional Auto Theft Task Force spotted the vehicle at a nearby gas station. Wardlow fled on foot when law enforcement arrived, leading to a foot pursuit supported by aerial surveillance. Officers eventually found Wardlow hiding in the cellar entryway of a nearby home.
A search of Wardlow yielded the mask and gloves used during the crime. Inside the car, officers recovered a bag containing the loaded 9mm handgun used in the robbery.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Levin and John W. Sippel, Jr. prosecuted the case with assistance from federal and local law enforcement agencies.
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