Paul Davis: Carjacker sentenced to prison for two armed carjackings days apart

When one is young, one often sows the proverbial wild oats. 

When I was 20 years old back in the summer of 1972, I was attending Penn State at the main campus in State College, Pennsylvania, on a special program for Vietnam veterans. I was the youngest of the group of vets, having previously served as a teenager on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War. 

I had a wild time in the Navy and afterwards my time attending classes during the day and partying at night at Penn State was another adventure.

Richard Pridgen embarked on a different kind of adventure at 20. He became an armed carjacker.

On February 5, 2026, David Metcalf, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, announced that Richard Pridgen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 214 months’ imprisonment, five years’ supervised release, and $11,709.82 in restitution for committing two carjackings in the city just days apart.

Pridgen pleaded guilty in October of 2025 to two counts of carjacking and two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the first carjacking was on July 3, 2023, when Pridgen carjacked a victim who had been sitting in his parked blue Jeep, at gunpoint. Pridgen had at least one co-conspirator who drove him there in a separate vehicle.

“Then, on July 6, 2023, Pridgen and two co-defendants, Raheem Bivens and Raheim Brown, used the first victim’s blue Jeep to carjack a second victim of his white Jeep. Both Pridgen and Bivens pointed firearms with extended magazines at the victim, demanding the car and keys. Pridgen and Bivens then fled in the second victim’s white Jeep, with Bivens behind the wheel,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.

“Philadelphia police located both Jeeps quickly and pursued all three men. Bivens crashed the white Jeep into several other cars, and Brown, who was driving the blue Jeep, crashed into another car. All the men ran, but all were apprehended, and police recovered both guns. Pridgen had the second victim’s identification on him when he was apprehended.

“Pridgen carried out these carjackings right after his release from juvenile state custody for committing several violent gunpoint commercial robberies in 2021.”

Both Bivens and Brown pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. They were each sentenced to 14 years in prison and five years of supervised release, with Bivens also ordered to pay $11,709.82 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Shulman and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman.

A while back the Philadelphia Police Department released a guide to help people avoid becoming carjacking victims. 

Below are some key tips provided by the police to enhance safety and prevent carjacking:

• Be aware of your surroundings: Know where you are, who is near you, and who is approaching you. If you feel uncomfortable or notice an unwelcome stranger approaching your vehicle, leave the area.
• Enter and exit your vehicle swiftly: Always enter your vehicle swiftly and without hesitation. Park your car in well-lit areas and avoid parking near walls, bushes, or dumpsters.
• Keep your vehicle locked: Always keep your vehicle locked and windows shut. Avoid taking streets with frequent stops and intersections.
• Use anti-theft devices: Consider using anti-theft devices like a steering wheel lock or a gearshift column lock to deter thieves.
• Keep your valuables hidden: Use anti-theft devices like a steering wheel lock or a gearshift column lock to deter thieves.
• Avoid being alone in high-crime neighborhoods: Don’t sit in your car with the door unlocked or the windows rolled down in high-crime neighborhoods and isolated roads.
• Know your vehicle identification (VIN) number: This will assist the police in recovering your car if it is stolen.
• Give up your car immediately: If you are approached by a carjacker, give up your car and leave the scene. Avoid verbal or physical confrontations with the carjacker.
• Let the carjacker know if there’s a child onboard: If there’s a child in the vehicle, make that clear to the carjacker so they don’t drive away with the child.

These tips are designed to help residents stay safe and reduce the risk of becoming a carjacking victim. 

Paul Davis’s Crime Beat column appears here each week. He is also a contributor to Broad + Liberty and Counterterrorism magazine. He can be reached at pauldavisoncrime.com.