CADILLAC -- A Cadillac brother and sister have been charged with falsely reporting a kidnapping in order to obtain drug money.
It all happened in the early morning hours of December 2, 2012. Brandon Wright called his girlfriend, telling her he had been kidnapped and that needed $80 dollars for ransom money.
In a state of panic and fear she drove straight to the state police post for help. Sgt. Scott Bates from the Michigan State Police Cadillac Post says, "She was visibly shaking, upset, crying hysterical, she really believed he had been abducted..."
State Police say Brandon Wright's girlfriend showed up to the Cadillac Post after hours and in a frantic move to get help, she used the emergency call box to contact dispatchers.
Sgt. Bates explains, "She said her boyfriend told her that he was abducted by two gentlemen and that he was in the back of a vehicle, being beaten by a baseball bat and was in transport to Lansing…unless she came up with $80 dollars to keep him from being abducted."
Police immediately got to work and treated the incident as an abduction investigation. They used witness accounts from Brandon Wright's sister Denisha to begin the search. Sgt. Bates says in an interview with Denisha, she said "she was reportedly the witness that saw two guys take her brother as he came out of G.D. Pizza in Cadillac and threw him in the back of the vehicle and took off. The sister said that she allegedly tried to follow the vehicle, but lost it."
Authorities got a description of what the alleged kidnap vehicle looked like as well as a description of the vehicle Brandon Wright was last seen driving. They sent out five patrol cars, and ended up locating Brand Wright, sitting in his car, on Lachance Road near Lake City.
Brandon and his sister Denisha were immediately brought back to the station for interviews. Bates says that Brandon Wright admitted to making up the kidnapping, in hopes of getting drug money.
The brother and sister pair are both facing charges for falsely reporting a kidnapping. Brandon is being charged with a felony for reporting a false kidnapping and extortion. Denisha is been charged with aiding and abetting a false report of a felony.
Tuesday, the brother and sister pair will be in court for their pretrial.
If convicted, each could face up to four years in prison and/or a fine of up to $2,000 dollars.
