Cheyenne Carjacking Suspects Sentenced in Federal Court

Acting United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming Bob Murray announced Thursday that 19-year-old Jacob Nathaniel Hopkins Trigg of Colorado and 20-year-old Oscar Alfredo Ortiz of Cheyenne, were convicted and sentenced in Federal Court in Cheyenne. According to information from the Department of Justice, Federal District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal, in relation to the suspects involvement in a violent carjacking in Cheyenne on April 21, 2020, sentenced Trigg to nine years and five years of supervised release. Ortiz was sentenced to 15 years in prison with five years of supervised release. Both Trigg and Ortiz were ordered to pay over $5,000 in restitution and $200 in special assessment fees.

The victim encountered the defendants standing on the roadway while driving in southwest Cheyenne.
After the victim stopped to offer assistance, Ortiz brandished a rifle and demanded the victim turn
over control of the vehicle. Trigg pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded he empty his pockets.
Ortiz and Trigg then ordered the victim out at gun point and fled in the vehicle. The next day, the
vehicle was located in Longmont, Colorado. Witnesses and video cameras captured the defendants
and a female dump the vehicle and cover it with a tarp. Meanwhile, officers in Longmont were
tracking the duo on social media and found several posts related to the crime spree that also included
a high-speed chase on I-70 near Evergreen, Colorado. The Colorado State Patrol ultimately
disengaged from pursuing the vehicle after speeds reached in excess of 96 mph in a heavy traffic area.
The FBI arrested the Ortiz and Trigg following a search warrant of Ortiz’s residence in Cheyenne
where the firearms were located. Both firearm purchases were tracked back to the defendants.

“I want to send a clear message to would-be carjackers: Committing a senseless act of violence like
carjacking will earn you a home in federal prison for a long time,” said Acting United States Attorney
Bob Murray. “This office and our law enforcement partners will always fight for crime victims and
do our job to hold accountable violent criminals.”

“Today’s sentence highlights the successful collaboration between the FBI’s Rocky Mountain Safe
Streets Task Force (RMSSTF), Cheyenne Police Department (CPD), Longmont Police Department,
Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The CPD’s integration into the
RMSSTF directly impacted the efficiency of the investigation,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in
Charge Michael Schneider. “We work diligently with our partners to identify, investigate, and
prosecute violent criminals such as Trigg and Ortiz to protect the public and keep our communities
safe. FBI Denver is grateful for all our task force participants as these strong partnerships continue to
bring justice to those who commit violent crimes.”

The case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department, F.B.I., the Boulder County Sheriff’s
Office and Longmont Police Department in Colorado. The charges were prosecuted by Assistant
United States Attorney Timothy J. Forwood.