Judge gives 25-year sentence for 2019 carjacking

A White County man with a string of felony convictions dating to 2021 who pleaded guilty to a federal carjacking count reacted angrily after being sentenced to 25 years in prison — the statutory maximum — by a federal judge on Tuesday.

Jake Hunter Brown, 28, of Bradford, was sentenced to the maximum term — a steep variance upward over the 120 to 150 month guideline range — by U.S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr., who said Brown poses “an extreme danger to the community,” and told him, “It’s apparent you have no regard for human life,” upon imposing the sentence that will likely keep Brown behind bars until he is in his 50s. Although federal inmates can earn up to 15% off their sentences for good time credit, there is no parole in the federal system, so Brown will have to serve at least 22 years of the 25-year sentence before he can be considered for release.

On Jan. 27, 2022, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking in exchange for the dismissal of one count each of felon in possession of a firearm and possession, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Brown had eight prior convictions for felony fleeing, residential burglary, theft by receiving, breaking and entering, battery and drug possession, court records indicated.

Court documents indicated that on Sept. 4, 2019, at 8:18 a.m., White County deputies responded to a report of a man shot in the head in Kensett and arrived to find Jeffrey Burton lying on the ground with a head wound. Burton told officers that he had run across an acquaintance, Crissa Miller, 24, of Judsonia, and a man he didn’t know — later identified as Brown — and offered them a ride. Burton told police, according to a probable cause affidavit, that the man threatened him, hit him with a pistol and tried to shoot him, then tried to run over him in Burton’s 2019 Buick Encore before he and Miller left the scene.

Miller was later sentenced to 10 years in White County Circuit Court on a charge of conspiracy to commit capital murder.

Deputies located the vehicle at Brown’s home in Bradford and were told by Brown’s grandparents that he and Miller had fled into a wooded area just as police showed up, the affidavit said. The two evaded police for several hours before they were taken into custody about 5 p.m., the affidavit said.

Brown’s attorney, Christian Chance Alexander of Jacksonville, asked Moody to consider a low-end guideline sentence of 120 months. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Bryant requested a high-end guideline sentence of 150 months.

Brown’s grandmother, Melanie Ybanze, and a friend of his, Rachael Johnson, both told Moody that Brown was working on straightening his life out but got mixed up with “the wrong people.”

“He’s actually a good kid,” Ybanze said, “a good man, really. He was doing good until he just got mixed up with the wrong people.”

“He’s really a good dude,” Johnson said. “He’s always been there for me. He was trying to do better but he just got mixed up with the wrong people.”

When asked by Moody if they knew the details of what Brown was charged with, both women said reports he had shot someone were false.

“They said he shot somebody but he didn’t,” Ybanze said. “He didn’t even have a gun.”

“They said he shot somebody but I don’t believe he did,” Johnson said. “And something about a truck.”

Speaking on his own behalf, Brown acknowledged having made mistakes.

“I made some bad choices, I ran around with some bad people,” he said. “Regardless of how much time I get or don’t get, when I get out I’m going to be a changed person and I’m going to make that happen.”

Moody’s announcement of a 300-month sentence — double the high end of the guideline range — stunned Brown, who lashed out angrily when Moody remarked that the crime happened after Burton, acting as a “good Samaritan,” offered a ride and in response, Brown placed a pistol to his head and pulled the trigger.

“Good Samaritan?” Brown said. “That man’s got a criminal record longer than me.”

“By some miracle,” Moody continued, “Mr. Burton survived and was able to identify Mr. Brown.”

Noticing Brown’s agitation, Moody asked if he had more he wished to say.

“I got plenty to say,” Brown said, angrily.

“Go ahead,” Moody said. “Ever since I got this case I been telling y’all I don’t feel right about it,” Brown said, beginning a rambling, disjointed and often unintelligible statement, lashing out at the judge, his own attorney and the prosecutor.

“My other lawyer explained to you that I never had no firearm,” Brown continued, “that I never discharged no firearm and I wasn’t pleading to that. But y’all used those big words and these other terms and you got me another lawyer and act like y’all gonna give me a sentence that’s reasonable for me not using no gun but then you get me in here and trick me and give me the maximum on my sentence and I don’t deserve that. I ain’t shot nobody, I ain’t hurt nobody, I might have received a stolen vehicle at the most.

“I don’t understand why I’m getting the bad end of the stick,” Brown continued. “My grandma’s up here crying and she told y’all how I’ve tried to change my life. It’s true, it’s true that I used to be bad but that was when I was a kid. I done grew, I changed my ways, I done did everything. I’m just at a loss for words. This is my guidelines. Everybody else gets sentenced to their guidelines why can’t I get sentenced to my guidelines? … I never shot nobody, I never possessed no gun, y’all keep on allege, allege, allege, last time we was in court … even the prosecutor said no, we never came to an agreement, he never admitted to shooting no gun. This is all public record.”

Following Brown’s statement, Alexander objected to the above-guideline sentence. In order to appeal an above-guideline sentence an objection must be placed on the record during the sentencing hearing.

After outlining Brown’s appeal rights, Moody asked if he understood.

“I don’t understand nothing no more,” Brown retorted. “I just want to be out of this courtroom.”