A Chicago man has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for his involvement in two armed carjackings and an armed robbery that took place in Chicago, Milwaukee, and West Milwaukee. Donte Patterson, 33, received the sentence on January 21, 2026.
Court records indicate that Patterson carried out an armed carjacking in Chicago on August 20, 2025. The following day, he traveled to Milwaukee where he committed another armed carjacking and then proceeded to carry out an armed robbery in West Milwaukee. In each incident, Patterson brandished a firearm.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief District Judge Pamela Pepper highlighted the impact of the crimes on the victims and public safety. She described Patterson’s actions as imposing “psychological torture” on his victims and emphasized the need to protect the community.
U.S. Attorney Brad D. Schimel commented on Patterson’s criminal history: “Donte Patterson is an extremely dangerous offender who has spent nearly all of his adult life in prison and committed this violent crime spree only 6 months after release from his prior prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Schimel. “There is clearly only one way for society to be safe from Patterson: lock him up. Thanks to the hard work of the law enforcement and prosecution team, our communities will get a much-needed break from his violent behavior.”
FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr also addressed the outcome: “One of the FBI’s top priorities is crushing violent crime. The significant sentence for Donte Patterson reflects the seriousness of his criminal offenses and his status as a repeat offender,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify criminals who prey upon our communities and bring them to justice.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crime Task Force—which includes members from the Milwaukee Police Department—along with assistance from both West Milwaukee Police Department and Chicago Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Julie F. Stewart prosecuted the case.
