Crime & Safety
Last Defendant Pleads Guilty In Violent Uber Carjacking Ring
Eric H. Knight and others targeted Uber and Lyft drivers in a series of violent carjackings and armed robberies, according to authorities.
ST. PAUL, MN — The final defendant has pleaded guilty to his role in a violent carjacking ring that targeted Uber and Lyft drivers, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
Eric Harrell Knight, 20, of Minneapolis pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to use, carry, and brandish firearms during and in relation to crimes of violence.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
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Between September and October 2021, Knight and others targeted Uber and Lyft drivers in a series of violent carjackings and armed robberies, according to authorities.
Knight and others lured drivers to specific locations under the guise of picking up passengers, investigators said. When the drivers arrived, Knight and others brandished firearms and demanded wallets and cell phones, according to authorities.
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They forced the drivers at gunpoint to unlock their cell phones and transfer money to them via Cash App or other applications, investigators said.
To intimidate and force compliance, members of the ring struck, pistol-whipped, and threatened to kill the drivers, according to authorities.
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