East St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping Charges

St. Louis, MO – Damarcus Boyd, aka Mez, pled guilty to charges involving a September 2015 kidnapping.

According to court documents, in September 2015, co-defendant Ortega Mitchell, aka Munk Milano, and the victim agreed that the victim would travel to St. Louis from San Diego, California, in connection with a marijuana transaction.  Unknown to the victim, Mitchell, Boyd and co-defendant Darius Rose planned to kidnap the victim and hold him for ransom.

On September 25, the victim flew from San Diego, California, to St. Louis where he was picked up by Boyd and Mitchell and taken to a house in Illinois.  When they entered the house, the victim was confronted by Rose with an assault rifle.  Rose threatened to blow the victim’s brains out and ordered him onto the floor.  The kidnappers rifled through the victim’s pockets and took his cell phone and wallet.  Boyd bound the victim’s hands and feet with duct tape, and the kidnappers kept him captive in a bedroom of the house.

On September 26, Rose made various ransom calls to the victim’s father demanding $100,000 and marijuana.  Rose, sometimes accompanied by Boyd, left the house in Illinois and traveled to the Glenfield Apartments in Overland, Missouri, to make the ransom calls.  The victim’s family contacted law enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) became involved.

Finally, on September 30, Rose, Mitchell  and Boyd drove the victim from Illinois to the area of Columbia and Hampton in the City of St. Louis.  The kidnappers told the victim to get out of the vehicle and drove away, leaving the victim in the street.  The victim walked to a nearby gas station and called his father to inform him he had been freed.

Boyd, East St. Louis, Illinois, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to kidnap before United States District Ronnie L. White. Sentencing has been set for February 8, 2017.

Co-defendant Ortega Mitchell pled guilty to the same charge in October and awaits sentencing.  Co-defendant Darius Rose is awaiting trial.

The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.  In determining the actual sentences, a judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Cristian M. Stevens is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations, and defendant Rose is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.