A 79-year-old man from Orange, Texas, has been sentenced to 294 months in prison for kidnapping an attorney. Putnam Darwin Richardson pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping and brandishing a firearm. U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone handed down the sentence yesterday.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office release, the kidnapping occurred on July 15, 2024, when Richardson forcibly took a local attorney at gunpoint outside his office in Beaumont, Texas. The victim's spouse received a ransom demand of $1 million, with threats of death if the demand was not met. Richardson, a former client of the victim, was arrested two days later at a gas station, and the victim was safely rescued.
The FBI, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange Police Department worked together on the case. This case was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative aimed at reducing violent crime.
