KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A federal jury convicted DeShawn Whited, 25, from Knoxville, on a spree of robberies and carjackings in January 2021, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
They said Whited was convicted of four counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, one count of carjacking, four counts of brandishing a firearm during a violent crime and illegally owning a gun. The Hobbs Act is a law that specifically prohibits robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce.
They said he faces a sentence of 100 years in prison.
He was indicted by the federal grand jury in March 2021, and the indictment said he robbed convenience stores and restaurants across Knoxville. He was arrested after a carjacking was reported at Gay Street near Magnolia Avenue, on Jan. 20, 2021.
Whited's trial lasted four days, according to a release from the DOJ. They said the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, a U.S. District Judge, presided over the trial.