Charges: Minneapolis men targeted Uber, Lyft drivers in carjacking spree

MINNEAPOLIS -- A pair of Minneapolis men face 20 criminal charges, including conspiracy, in connection to a string of armed carjackings involving rideshare drivers last fall.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Shevirio Kavirion Childs-Young, 18, and William Charles Saffold, 20, were part of a criminal conspiracy that targeted Lyft and Uber drivers in September and October of 2021.

Investigators say the men "lured victim-drivers to particular locations under the guise of picking up or dropping off passengers." When the driver arrived at the location, the two men and other members of the group would pull out guns and demand their wallets and cellphones, forcing them to first unlock the devices and give their passcodes. The suspects then would drive off in the victims' vehicles. If the victims refused, they were often beaten with a gun.

Members would then use apps to transfer money from their victims to their own accounts.

Childs-Young is in custody on state charges and has yet to appear in federal court. Saffold made his first federal court appearance Wednesday.