LAFAYETTE PARISH, La. (KLFY) -- Three local men were sentenced for their roles in the 2023 kidnapping of a California resident, authorities announced.
The defendants are 27-year-old Joseph Lawrence Harrison, 31-year-old Cody Lajohn Williams, and 27-year-old Drapper Lavar Anthony Jr.
The men were convicted in connection with the kidnapping conspiracy of a California man who was lured to Lafayette "under the guise of executing a multi-state narcotics transaction," according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown's Office.
U.S. District Judge Robert T. Summerhays sentenced each defendant as follows:
Authorities said that once the California resident arrived in Lafayette, the three defendants kidnapped the victim at gunpoint and then held the victim at an Airbnb "turned safe house" for several hours. The victim received several injuries, authorities said, including lacerations to his face after being hit with a firearm.
The defendants made ransom demands, including a request for up to $300,000, several high-end pieces of jewelry and 100 pounds of marijuana, authorities said.
"After constant collaboration between investigators and using multiple investigative
techniques, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives were able to intercept Harrison and
Williams and safely secure the victim," the news release said.
