SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A brother and sister from Decatur found guilty of kidnapping in federal court were sentenced this week.
Ademeko Maclin-Carney and Ausarian Carney were on trial for kidnapping a local businessman and demanding a ransom of $400,000 in 2022.
Police documents showed that in March of 2022, a Decatur businessman was called to a home regarding some potential work that needed to be done. The man told police that after he entered the home, he was pepper-sprayed by the woman who called him. He said that a man then entered the room and pointed a gun at him.
The victim said that he was then forced into a car and taken to multiple locations. The kidnappers also called his wife to demand $400,000 in exchange for his release.
The victim was able to escape and flee to Peerless Cleaners in Decatur, where he told an employee. That employee then called police.
During trial, the victim's wife testified that the day of the kidnapping was the "worst day of her life."
On Wednesday, Carney was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison, followed by a three-year period of supervised release. Maclin-Carney was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a two-year period of supervised release.
At the sentencing hearings, U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn noted that the victim and his family would suffer long-lasting psychological trauma from the incident. Judge McGlynn also noted that neither defendant expressed remorse for the crime.
When imposing Maclin-Carney's 30 year sentence, Judge McGlynn highlighted that she was the leader of the kidnapping, specifically noting her research about the victim, his family, and his business before the crime. The court also noted that Maclin-Carney had researched the penalty for “third-degree murder” in the leadup to the kidnapping.
“The defendants’ violent kidnapping of the victim in this case shows their avarice for ill-gotten gains at any cost, including the terror they inflicted on the victim and his family,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “The significant sentences here reflect the gravity of the defendants’ crimes. I want to thank our law enforcement partners – the Decatur Police Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service – who all did excellent work investigating this crime.”
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