ST. LOUIS — A man could spend the rest of his life in prison after admitting to a carjacking that left a taxi driver dead last year.
James Flannel, 37, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a carjacking that resulted in the death of Boris Iouioukine.
On June 25, 2018, officers responded to the 2500 block of E. Dodier around 9:35 p.m. where they found Iouioukine shot and bleeding heavily from his head in the middle of the street.
Iouioukine's family said he was an independent contractor for Laclede Cab who was just doing his job.
A press release from the Justice Department said Flannel got into the cab at around 8:50 and fatally shot Iouioukine about 20 minutes later. The release said Flannel then kicked Iouioukine's body out of the car and fled the scene in the taxi.
Police found the taxi the next day and were able to get a fingerprint off a water bottle found inside the car.
He was arrested about a month later.
Flannel's minimum sentence is 10 years, but he could face life in prison.
Flannel was also one of the two men who escaped Lincoln County Jail and carjacked someone earlier this year.
