A man has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for carjacking a rideshare driver at gunpoint outside the Willis Tower in January 2021. Joshua Walker pleaded guilty to federal charges of carjacking and using a machine gun during a violent crime. U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland imposed a two-year sentence for the carjacking charge and a consecutive seven-year sentence for the firearm charge.
The carjacking outside the Willis Tower was just one of several violent crimes committed by Walker and his fellow “Beamteam” gang members. The 31-year-old rideshare driver was sitting in his car when a stolen Dodge Journey pulled up. Walker exited the SUV, pointed a firearm at the victim, and demanded he surrender his phone. The victim complied, and the carjackers fled with his vehicle.
Walker later drove the stolen vehicle to his home and attempted to sell the victim’s phone at a Boost Mobile store. Prosecutors revealed that Walker’s accomplice in the carjacking went on to murder a carjacking victim in Oak Park shortly after the Willis Tower incident. Although Walker was not present for the murder, he made a concerning Facebook post referencing the crime.
Federal officials are considering pursuing the death penalty against Walker’s accomplice. The Beamteam gang, to which Walker belonged, was known for using laser beams on their firearms during violent crimes, including armed carjackings and robberies. Prosecutors linked the gang to several other crimes, including armed robberies at Dunkin’ locations across the city.
In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors detailed additional violent crimes committed by Walker in May 2019, including armed carjackings and street robberies. After one crime spree, Walker even sent a voice message admitting to robbing people throughout the morning. The Beamteam gang’s reign of violence and terror has left a trail of destruction in its wake, and federal authorities are working diligently to bring all those involved to justice.
