Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Kidnapping and Murder Charges

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON BATISTE, also known as “B,” 35, of Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to offenses stemming from his role in the kidnapping and murder of a Massachusetts man in 2020.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2020, Batiste and Calvin Roberson, also known as “Cutty,” kidnapped Francisco Roman, Jr., 28, at gunpoint from his residence in Chicopee, Massachusetts.  Batiste and Roberson threatened to harm Roman if he did not comply with their orders, handcuffed him, and stole cash, marijuana, and other items from Roman.  Batiste and Roberson forced Roman into the rear of Roman’s 2010 Acura ZDX, and transported Roman and the other stolen property to Connecticut.  Batiste shot and killed Roman while the car was en route to Hartford.  They then drove to the car Shultas Place in Hartford and left it parked on the street.

Shortly before 9 p.m. on December 26, 2020, Hartford police and fire personnel responded to Shultas Place and found the car engulfed in flames.  After the fire was extinguished, investigators discovered Roman’s body with multiple gunshot wounds in the rear of the vehicle.

Batiste pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit kidnaping, and one count of causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm.  Under the terms of a binding plea agreement, if accepted by the court, Batiste will be sentenced to between 30 and 45 years of imprisonment.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford on September 22.

Batiste has been detained since his arrest on February 11, 2021.

Roberson pleaded guilty to the same charges on April 27, 2023, and is detained while awaiting sentencing.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, FBI’s Springfield Gang Task Force, Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County (Mass.) District Attorney’s Office, Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, Chicopee Police Department and Springfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Angel M. Krull.

U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts for their assistance in this matter.