U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero announced that John Nusslein, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John Younge to 300 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, restitution of $5,300 and a $300 special assessment, in connection with the carjackings of two food delivery drivers in the Northeast in December 2021.
Nusslein, of the Far Northeast, was charged in June 2022, and on April 2, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, one count of carjacking resulting in death and one count of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury. He faced a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
The defendant and others committed two carjackings.
On Dec. 2, 2021, Nusslein and two others placed a food delivery order to an address on the 3000 block of Teesdale St. in Mayfair, as a ruse to lure their intended victim to that location. At about 7 p.m., when a food delivery driver arrived at that location, Nusslein and the others approached him, struck him repeatedly and took his 2004 Toyota Camry. The driver, Chung Yan Chin, 70, died later that month.
On Dec. 16, 2021, Nusslein and another person placed a food delivery order to an address on the 9000 block of Hilspach Street in Bustleton, as a ruse to lure their intended victim to that location. At about 9:10 p.m., when the food delivery driver arrived at that location, Nusslein and the other person approached him, pointed a firearm at him, demanded his money, struck him and took his 2015 Infiniti QX5. Nusslein and Person 1 then fled the area in W.Z.’s stolen Infiniti QX5.
“A man just trying to make a living lost his life, because John Nusslein wanted his car,” Romero said. “Another man was brutally assaulted for the same reason. Such senseless violence demands a strong response on behalf of the victims and the community. Our Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force will continue to work these cases and seek significant sentences to get dangerous criminals off the street. A 20-year-old young man serving 25 years in prison sends a clear message that choosing to commit a carjacking can have life-changing ramifications.”
“This perpetrator’s intentional and brutal acts for nothing more than to rob and steal their unsuspecting victims’ cars is reprehensible,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Eric DeGree. “This case is a reminder that carjacking is deadly dangerous and a serious federal crime with lengthy prison sentences. ATF Philadelphia Field Division will continue our diligent work with our partners in the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force and sharing ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools, to ensure justice for the victims and to make our communities safer.”
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun violence. ••
