Tan Co. Owner Sentenced on Federal Kidnapping Charges

St. Louis, MO – Todd Beckman was sentenced to 240 months in prison for his role in kidnapping a Maplewood man.             

According to court documents, on November 21, 2016, brothers Blake and Caleb Laubinger entered the victim’s residence and, when he arrived home, attacked and confined him with zip ties, threatening to kill him if he screamed. They transported the victim in a rental truck to Blake Laubinger’s residence, and held him in the basement in zip ties, handcuffs and duct tape. Todd Beckman and Kerry Roades arrived at the residence. Beckman and Roades beat the victim and pressed the barrel of a handgun to his head. They accused him of stealing from Blake Laubinger and demanded money. The next day, the Laubinger brothers told the victim if they did not get ransom money from his parents in Florida they would kill him. The victim was repeatedly beaten, tased, and assaulted by the kidnappers. The kidnappers made ransom calls to the victim’s parents demanding money in exchange for his life.

On November 22, Blake and Caleb Laubinger, and Todd Beckman, transported the victim in the rental truck to Todd Beckman’s property and confined him in a shipping container.  Beckman put a handgun to the victim’s head and threatened to kill him.

On November 23, the victim’s parents paid approximately $27,000 in ransom to Todd Beckman. Shortly after, the kidnappers removed the victim from the shipping container and threatened to kill him if he said anything to anyone. The kidnappers took the victim in a “St. Louis Tan Co.” van to Gravois Bluffs shopping center, where they released him.

Todd Beckman, 53 of Fenton, pled guilty on November 2 to one felony count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping.  He appeared today for sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig.

This case was investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maplewood Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorneys John T Davis and Stephen Casey are handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.