United States Attorney’s Office
Eastern District of Virginia
Chuck Rosenberg - United States Attorney

ALEXANDRIA     NEWPORT NEWS      NORFOLK      RICHMOND

June 26, 2007

Further Information Contact:
Deanna Warren
Phone: (757) 441-6331

Newport News Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Carjacking

(Newport News, VA) - Russell Lee Hudgins, of Newport News, pled guilty yesterday before United States District Judge Jerome Friedman, to armed carjacking and brandishing a firearm during the carjacking. Hudgins is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2007, and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years. Chuck Rosenberg, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Cassandra M. Chandler, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and James D. Fox, Chief of Police, Newport News Police Department, made the announcement after the guilty plea was accepted.

Facts summarized during court proceedings show that Hudgins entered a residence while armed, tied up the victim, then stole money and victim's automobile. Hudgins also took the victim's cell phone and a credit card. He threatened to return and kill the victim if the PIN number for the stolen credit card was not correct. Newport News police responded to the residence and untied the victim who was not injured. After a traffic accident, Hudgins was apprehended by police in Ahoskie, North Carolina.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Newport News Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bradenham II prosecuted the case for the United States.