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Press Release

Dayton man pleads guilty to kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in victim’s death

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio

DAYTON – A Dayton man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today for his role in the summer 2019 kidnapping and subsequent death of Kwasi Casey, whose body was later found in a detached garage on Fountain Ave. in Dayton.

 

Antoine Dye, 37, offered a guilty plea to conspiring to kidnapping resulting in death.

 

According to court documents, five co-conspirators kidnapped and abducted the victim at gunpoint on July 7, 2019.

 

Mr. Casey was taken to one of the defendant’s homes, where he was held against his will and beaten with a baseball bat. Another defendant made ransom demands of the victim’s family.

 

The indictment in this case details that Casey escaped on July 8, 2019, but was recaptured and forced into a co-conspirator’s minivan, where the victim was again physically assaulted. Mr. Casey ultimately died as a result of the defendants’ actions.

 

Between July and September 2019, the defendants concealed the victim’s body at a garage on Fountain Ave. in Dayton. On Sept. 17, 2019, the defendants set the garage on fire to destroy evidence and the victim’s body. On Sept. 26, 2019, the victim’s burnt remains were recovered from the burnt garage.

 

Other defendants charged in this case include: Eric Blackshear, 42; Markale Thomas, 28; Devon Love, 29; and Ryan Reese, 27.

 

Each of the defendants is charged with conspiring to kidnap the victim, a federal crime punishable by up to life in prison. Congress sets the maximum statutory sentence. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

Kenneth L, Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter B Silvain, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith and OCDETF Deputy Chief Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.

 

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Updated December 22, 2021

Topic
Violent Crime