DETROIT — A Detroit man has been sentenced to 8.5 years in federal prison after being convicted of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime.
According to federal court records, Brandon Sims, 35, of Detroit, was sentenced Tuesday, January 13, 2026, for a carjacking that occurred on October 18, 2023.
Investigators say Sims confronted a man who was helping a young woman move out of Sims’s residence. Sims entered the victim’s SUV and produced a firearm. During a struggle, the victim pushed the gun away, causing it to discharge. The victim then fled the vehicle, and Sims drove off with the young woman still inside.
Carjackers pounce on ordinary folks—by putting a gun their face—when they are a sitting duck in their car. We will prosecute the criminals who commit these terrible and violent crimes.
U.S. Attorney Gorgon
Several hours later, law enforcement officers located Sims and the woman in Pontiac, where Sims was taken into custody without incident. The stolen SUV was recovered the following day.
The sentencing of Brandon Sims, a convicted felon, reflects the serious consequences facing those who commit reckless crimes of violence and place innocent lives at risk.
Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Detroit Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeanine Brunson and Craig Wininger.