Man sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after stealing car, personal belongings near Wayne State campus

Johnnie Watkins sentenced in 2019 crime

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DETROIT – A 32-year-old man from Detroit was sentenced on charges of carjacking and brandishing a firearm in a crime.

Johnnie Watkins was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to officials.

Watkins committed the crime on Nov. 9, 2019. According to officials, Watkins approached a man sitting in a vehicle off of Wayne State University’s campus and verbally threatened him. While threatening the victim, Watkins proceeded to rob the man of his personal belongings. Watkins then entered the vehicle and drove off after the victim exited his car.

After the police were notified about the stolen vehicle, Watkins lost control of the car and crashed. Officials say the suspect ran on foot and hid in a building not far from the car crash.

Previous coverage: Armed robbery on campus of Wayne State University ends in car crash