A Seattle man was sentenced to six years in federal prison following his arrest near an Auburn middle school after he robbed someone of their car near Lumen Field.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Louis Montel De’Andre Dowers, 32, of Seattle, was sentenced to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty on April 24 to the federal charges of carjacking and using a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the department, Dowers’ charges stem from a June 9, 2024, incident in which he robbed a man of his car at gunpoint outside a business on Occidental Avenue South in Seattle, fled to Auburn, ditched his car, and was soon after located walking around near the ditched car and arrested.
According to the DOJ, the victims of the robbery, a couple, said in their impact statements that they still live with that moment of terror from the robbery, experiencing trauma every day. Additionally, the couple said that the incident has robbed them of their peace, according to the DOJ.
“Using a ‘ghost gun’ to threaten the driver and almost running down a second victim, is why carjacking has received substantial federal attention,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “In 2024, the Department of Justice created eleven Carjacking Task Forces in districts around the United States, including here in the Western District of Washington. This increased focus on federal prosecutions of armed carjacking offenses has coincided with a substantial reduction in these types of crimes.”
According to the sentencing memorandum from Dowers’ defense, at the time of his offense, his actions appear to have been influenced by his historical experiences and ongoing mental health symptoms. Leading up to the robbery, Dowers believed he was being followed, so he took the closest car near him.
According to the memorandum, Dowers grew up in extreme poverty, has trauma, turned to drugs to deal with his issues, and leading up to the robbery, he was introduced to negative peers. In asking that Dowers receive the minimum sentence of five years and one day, the memorandum cited that Dowers sought out pre-trial substance use treatment, which was denied, and prison is not the ideal setting for rehabilitation. According to the memorandum, it can be easier to access drugs in prison than on the outside, and Dowers stated that during his incarceration, “drugs are everywhere.”
According to the plea document, the government agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than 84 months of imprisonment, and the defendant agreed to recommend a sentence of at least 60 months and one day.
Details of the incident
According to the department, at about 6:50 p.m., the victim was sitting in his 2013 BMW X3 outside the Occidental Avenue South business, waiting for his wife, when Dowers approached the vehicle from behind. Dowers then opened the victim’s car door, pointed the gun at him, and told him something to the effect of, “It’s mine now. Get out.”
“The victim was able to get his dog out of the car before Dowers drove off,” the department stated. “The victim’s wife came out of the store and was nearly hit by the car as it raced away.”
According to the department, the victim quickly called police, and the vehicle was tracked down and determined to be parked near Kilo Middle School, located in Auburn but part of Federal Way Public Schools. It was approximately 7:40 p.m. when Auburn Police officers located the vehicle, although Dowers had already abandoned it, the justice department states. Shortly after officers located the vehicle, officers saw Dowers walking down a nearby street, and his description matched that of the alleged perpetrator. Officers then approached Dowers to detain him on the carjacking investigation, according to the department. When officers asked Dowers if he had any weapons, he said he had a “ghost” on him, referring to a privately manufactured gun, otherwise known as a “ghost gun,” which are illegal in Washington state. The department states that officers then removed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from Dowers’ waist, which was fully loaded with a round in the chamber. According to the plea document, Dowers admitted that he used that firearm during the carjacking.
The case was investigated by the federal carjacking task force made up of the Seattle Police Department, the Kent Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the FBI. Additionally, the case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg, who leads the Western District of Washington Carjacking Task Force.
