Four Men Indicted in Connection With Violent Kidnapping and Ransom Plot

CHICAGO — Four men have been indicted for allegedly abducting a suspected drug dealer in Chicago and holding him for ransom.

The four alleged kidnappers conspired in May 2018 to kidnap the suspected dealer, rob him of drugs and cash, and hold him for ransom, according to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  The kidnappers, brandishing firearms, entered the suspected drug dealer’s residence and used restraints to bind him and others inside the home, the indictment states.  One of the kidnappers allegedly burned a victim’s arm with a hot object.  The kidnappers then searched the residence for drugs and cash and forced the suspected dealer to place calls to obtain ransom money, the indictment states.

Charged in the indictment with conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping, and firearm offenses are CALVERT WILLIAMS, 34, of Chicago, DERRIUS BURNS, 30, of Bellwood, Ill., AHZAMI XHAMILTON, 27, of Chicago, and CHRISTOPHER GREGORY, 35, of Chicago.  The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. 

All four defendants are currently detained in law enforcement custody.  Burns, Gregory, and Xhamilton pleaded not guilty at their arraignments this week in federal court.  Williams will be arraigned at a later date.

The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Mitchell, Jimmy L. Arce, and Beth E. Palmer.

The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.