Norfolk Woman Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Attempted Kidnapping of 4-Month-Old Child

NORFOLK, VA—Jaquissa Bryant, 21, of Norfolk, Virginia, was sentenced today in Norfolk federal court to 12 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for attempted kidnapping and making false statements to law enforcement.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after Bryant was sentenced by United States Chief District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith. Bryant previously pleaded guilty to these charges on January 17, 2012.

According to court documents and evidence, in April 2011, Bryant was babysitting her friend’s 4-month-old and attempted to take the infant from Norfolk to Alabama, where she presented the infant to family as her own biological child. Bryant obstructed the investigation by informing the Norfolk Police Department and the FBI that the child she had been babysitting was deceased, and she had placed the body in a dumpster outside the bus depot in Columbia, South Carolina. After an unsuccessful search for the body, the child was located alive in Alabama with Bryant’s family and was returned to the mother unharmed. Further investigation revealed that Bryant had been making fictitious representations to friends and family concerning pregnancies and biological children for some time.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Norfolk Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Yusi prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae.