NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was charged today with committing two armed carjackings in Newark and North Bergen, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Nifees Ingram, 32, was charged in two complaints with the carjackings and with using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He made his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On March 4, 2018, Ingram contacted the owners of a 2005 Ford Mustang who had advertised the car for sale on Facebook. Ingram lured the sellers to a location in Newark, ostensibly to purchase the car. When the victims arrived at the location to sell the car, Ingram got into the driver’s seat and began to drive away with one of the victims still in the car. After he drove some distance away, Ingram showed the victim a handgun, and ordered the victim to get out of the car. Ingram then drove away in the car, which was later recovered in Newark.

On March 12, 2018, Ingram went to a residence in North Bergen, New Jersey, under the pretense of being a potential buyer for a 2007 Audi Q7 that the victim had posted for sale on Facebook. Ingram lured the victim from the home and asked the victim if he could take the vehicle for a test drive. Once in the car with the victim, Ingram displayed a handgun and refused to let the victim leave the car. Ingram then drove the victim from North Bergen to Newark and forced the victim to leave behind his cell phone and get out of the car. Ingram then fled with the car, which was later recovered in Newark.

The carjacking charges each carry a maximum of 15 years in prison, and the firearms charge carries a statutory mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a statutory maximum term of life in prison.

The charge and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley W. Cohen; the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; the North Bergen Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Dowd, and the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Anthony Ambrose, with the investigation leading to the charge.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace Latzer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Leticia Olivera Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark