Two Charged in Gang-Related Kidnapping of Father of State Prosecutor in North Carolina
FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team Rescues Man Held for Five Days in Atlanta

WASHINGTON—Two defendants were charged with conspiracy to kidnap in connection with the kidnapping of Frank Arthur Janssen of Wake Forest, North Carolina, announced U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker of the Eastern District of North Carolina. These two are in addition to the six already charged with engaging in a conspiracy to seize, kidnap, and abduct Frank Janssen from Wake Forest and transport him to Atlanta. Janssen is the father of a Raleigh, North Carolina, prosecutor who prosecuted a Blood member in state court.

“My office will continue to pursue everyone involved with this heinous crime. This deliberate attack on our judicial system will not be tolerated,” stated U.S. Attorney Walker.

According to the investigation, Blood gang member Kelvin Melton, aka “Dizzy” and “Old Man,” 49, used a cell phone that he illegally possessed while serving a life sentence in North Carolina’s Polk Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, to transmit instructions and threats to Janssen’s wife and to co-conspirators in the plot. Specifically, Melton gave instructions on how to kill Janssen and dispose of his body. Janssen was taken from his home against his will on April 5, 2014. Through a coordinated effort involving many federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team rescued Janssen at 11:55 p.m. on April 9, 2014, at a residence in Southeast Atlanta.

The two new charges are against Jakym Tibbs and John Doe, aka “Quan” and “Kirkwood Quan.” The others already charged with kidnapping in this case are Jenna Paulin Martin, 21; Tiana Maynard, aka “Tiana Brooks,” 30; Jevante Price, aka “Flame,” 20; Michael Montreal Gooden, aka “Hot,” 21; and Clifton James Roberts, 29. These five had their detention hearings in Atlanta yesterday, and all were ordered held without bond. Jenna Paulin Martin and Tiana Maynard waived their probable cause hearings and will be extradited to North Carolina. Janssen’s daughter is a state prosecutor who prosecuted Melton in Raleigh, North Carolina. This investigation is ongoing.

If convicted of this charge, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life in prison 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is handling the prosecution of these cases with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.