BEAUMONT, Texas — An Orange man has pleaded guilty to kidnapping an attorney at gunpoint and holding him hostage for a $1 million ransom.
Putnam Darwin Richardson, 79, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn on Wednesday.
According to information presented in court, on July 15, 2024, a kidnapping for ransom was reported to the FBI.
Beaumont attorney Mel Shelander was kidnapped at gunpoint after arriving at his law office. Shelander has worked as an attorney in Beaumont for more than 35 years.
Shelander's wife received a call from his cell phone, during which the kidnapper indicated the victim was being held hostage in exchange for a $1 million ransom.
Richardson, a former client of Shelander, indicated he would kill the attorney if the ransom was not met.
Richardson was previously convicted of kidnapping two people at gunpoint in Beaumont in 1984. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison for that crime and has been on parole since October 2017, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice records.
During Richardson's 1984 trial in state court, Shelander was one of his defense attorneys, court documents show.
On July 17, 2024, Richardson was arrested at a gas station, and the victim was rescued by law enforcement authorities.
Richardson faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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