Criminal Complaint Filed Against Kelvin Melton in Kidnapping Case

RALEIGH—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that today Kelvin Melton, a/k/a Dizzy, a/k/a Old Man, was charged with conspiring to kidnap Frank Arthur Janssen of Wake Forest, North Carolina, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a).

According to the investigation, Melton and others engaged in a conspiracy to seize, kidnap, and abduct Frank Janssen from Wake Forest, North Carolina, and transport him to Atlanta, Georgia. Melton used a cell phone that he illegally possessed while serving a life sentence in the Polk Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, to transmit instructions and threats to Mr. Janssen’s wife and to co-conspirators in the plot. Specifically, Melton gave instructions on how to kill Mr. Janssen and dispose of his body. If convicted of this charge, Melton faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

The case is being investigated by the FBI Charlotte, FBI Atlanta, the Wake Forest Police Department, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, with assistance by the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh Police Department, Durham Police Department, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Garner Police Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol, RDU Police, City County Bureau of Investigation, the Cobb County Police Department, Alpharetta Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is handling the prosecution of these cases.