Press Release
5 charged in kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in death of victim
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio
DAYTON – A federal grand jury has charged five Dayton individuals in the summer 2019 kidnapping and subsequent death of Kwasi Casey, whose body was later found in a detached garage on Fountain Ave. in Dayton.
According to the indictment that was returned yesterday and unsealed today, co-conspirators kidnapped and abducted the victim at gunpoint on July 7, 2019.
Mr. Casey was taken to one of the defendant’s homes, where he was held against his will and beaten with a baseball bat. Another defendant made ransom demands of the victim’s family.
The indictment details that Casey escaped on July 8, 2019, but was recaptured and forced into a co-conspirator’s minivan, where the victim was again physically assaulted. It is alleged Mr. Casey ultimately died as a result of the defendants’ actions.
Those charged include: Eric Blackshear, 40; Markale Thomas, 26; Devon Love, 27; Ryan Reese, 25; and Antoine Dye, 35.
Each of the defendants is charged with conspiring to kidnap the victim, a federal crime punishable by up to life in prison.
David M. DeVillers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Richard S. Biehl; Chris Hoffman, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck, Jr. announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith and OCDETF Deputy Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Updated October 16, 2020
Topic
Violent Crime
Component