Cleveland, Ohio – A 23-year-old Cleveland man will spend 20 years in federal prison after admitting his role in three armed carjackings carried out during a single day in July 2025.
Mickey Hodge was sentenced to 240 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan. After completing his prison term, Hodge will also serve five years of supervised release.
Hodge previously pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking and three counts of using or carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Judge Gaughan also ordered restitution of $25,1991.81, to be paid jointly and severally with Hodge’s co-defendants, 22-year-old Tayveonn Elliott of Cleveland and 20-year-old Tye Campbell of Cleveland.
Elliott and Campbell have also pleaded guilty to charges connected to their involvement in the carjackings, along with firearms offenses. Both are scheduled to receive their sentences in October.
Series of armed carjackings began early in the morning
According to court documents, the three carjackings happened on July 16, 2025, and involved what authorities described as a coordinated group of armed assailants. Investigators later identified Hodge, Elliott and Campbell as the people involved.
The events were connected to a vehicle theft that occurred the previous day. A food delivery worker had briefly stepped away from his Honda Civic while delivering food to a residence. When he returned, he discovered that his vehicle had been taken.
At about 4 a.m. the following morning, authorities said the defendants approached a valet working at a downtown Cleveland hotel. The valet was threatened and ordered to hand over keys to vehicles she had parked.
Fearing for her life, the woman complied with the demand. The suspects then took a Nissan Altima. Meanwhile, another co-conspirator who was nearby drove away in the Honda Civic that had been stolen from the food delivery worker the previous day.
Several hours later, at approximately 7:30 a.m., another armed carjacking took place. This time, a woman was sitting inside her Toyota RAV4 in the parking lot of a gym when she was confronted at gunpoint.
The woman feared for her safety and handed over the vehicle’s key fob. The suspects then drove away with the Toyota.
The series of crimes continued later that day. At about 6 p.m., a third victim was threatened at gunpoint. Authorities said the man surrendered the keys to his Ford Explorer, which was then taken by the suspects.
Police pursuit ends with crash and arrests
Roughly four hours after the third carjacking, law enforcement officers located the Honda Civic that had been stolen from the delivery driver.
Officers activated their emergency lights and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. Instead of stopping, however, the Honda sped away.
The attempt to escape ended when the Honda crashed into two other vehicles at an intersection. Several suspects then got out of the crashed car and attempted to escape on foot.
Hodge and Elliott were among those who fled from the vehicle, according to authorities. Both were eventually apprehended. Campbell was not arrested at the same time but was taken into custody at a later date.
The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Cleveland Division and the Cleveland Division of Police.
Assistant United States Attorney Scott Zarzycki handled the prosecution on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
Hodge’s 20 year federal prison sentence follows his guilty pleas to all six counts and concludes the sentencing portion of the case against him. The cases involving Elliott and Campbell remain pending for sentencing, with both co-defendants expected to appear before the court in October.
