Man Charged with Kidnapping

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on November 17, 2010, CAREY L. BRESHERS, JR., age 51, having addresses in both Missouri and Oklahoma, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis, Illinois in a four-count indictment charging him with two counts of kidnapping; with use and carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence; and interference with commerce by robbery. The violations are alleged to have taken place on October 26, 2010, in St. Clair County, Illinois.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Each kidnapping charge carries with it a potential sentence of up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than five years of supervised release. The firearm offense carries a potential sentence of not less than seven years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive to the sentence imposed on the kidnapping offense charged in Count 1 of the indictment, a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Interference with commerce carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than five years of supervised release.

Information leading to the charges was obtained in an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the O'Fallon Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Topeka, Kansas Police Department, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.