Chicago man sentenced for suburban kidnapping spree
CHICAGO - A Chicago man has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for orchestrating a series of violent kidnappings in the suburbs, prosecutors said.
What we know:
Sedgwick Williams, 48, was convicted last year along with co-defendant Tai Hon La, 35, of Beach Park, for participating in a kidnapping conspiracy that included abductions in Naperville and Westchester in 2019, as well as an attempted kidnapping in South Holland.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the suspects posed as law enforcement officers to abduct their victims at gunpoint, rob them, and in some cases, extort their families.
The backstory:
In the first incident on Oct. 17, 2019, prosecutors said Williams and his accomplices abducted a man outside his electronics store in Naperville.
They handcuffed the victim, forced him into a car, and took him to Chicago, where he was assaulted and held while the suspects burglarized his business and contacted his family, according to the attorney's office.
On Nov. 16, 2019, Williams and others posed as federal agents and kidnapped a man outside his Westchester home. They forced him inside, took a second victim into the basement, and then held two more people at gunpoint when they arrived. Prosecutors said the suspects stole cash and jewelry before fleeing.
The third incident occurred on Dec. 11, 2019, in South Holland. The intended victim called 911 before the suspects could enter the home.
Officers arrived on the scene, and Williams and La were arrested shortly after while fleeing.
What they're saying:
"Williams orchestrated a series of incredibly violent abductions and armed robberies throughout Chicago and the neighboring suburbs," Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Jodrey and Kate McClelland argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. "Williams and his co-conspirators ruthlessly threatened, restrained, beat, robbed, kidnapped, terrorized, and tortured people for their own personal gain."
What's next:
La is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3.