A Philadelphia man has found himself set to spend a significant portion of his twenties behind bars following a sentencing regarding two back-to-back carjackings. Upon pleading guilty last September, 20-year-old Mason Williams-Surzano was ordered today by U.S. District Court Judge Karen S. Marston to serve nine years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that the sentence is a consequence of Williams-Surzano’s involvement in a string of carjackings alongside three other individuals in December 2023. In addition to the carjacking charges, Williams-Surzano admitted to aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence.
In his first offense, Williams-Surzano and his cohorts, situated on 1700 Brill Street, forced a victim at gunpoint to surrender their keys to a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The vehicle was soon recovered by the Philadelphia Police mere blocks away. Hours later, Williams-Surzano committed yet another carjacking. With a gun, they commanded the second victim to surrender the keys to a 2017 Kia Forte on 1600 Sparks Street, as per the U.S. Attorney’s announcement. These two consecutive crimes swiftly branded him as a tangible threat to the local populace.
“Imagine staring down the barrel of a gun as a criminal crew demands your car,” U.S. Attorney Romero expounded. “Anyone committing a carjacking — let alone two in just a few hours — is a clear danger to our community. We and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force are working every day to make this city safer by identifying, prosecuting, and bringing to justice offenders like Williams-Surzano.” The burgeoning issue of carjackings in Philadelphia has prompted a concerted effort from law enforcement to implement measures aimed at curbing this violent trend. Williams-Surzano’s convictions testify to these ongoing initiatives, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office…