Two Illinois Men Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Terms on Federal Kidnapping
and Weapons Charges

St. Louis, Missouri: Michael Batee was sentenced to 37 years in prison on kidnapping, carjacking, and weapons charges involving the July 2007 downtown St. Louis abduction of two people, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway announced today.

“Michael Batee committed these offenses with his brother, Edward Powell. These men terrorized two innocent people who were enjoying a pleasant evening. They will now spend many years in prison reflecting upon the dangerousness of their actions,” said Hanaway. “The subsequent apprehension of these defendants is the result of the coordination of multiple law enforcement agencies.”

Testimony at trial described how Batee and Powell abducted a young couple sitting in their car in downtown St. Louis. Batee and Powell forced their way into the car at gunpoint and forced the victims to drive to East St. Louis, Illinois . They forced the female victim to attempt to withdraw money from an ATM, however, the young lady did not have sufficient funds in her account. The kidnappers demanded that she obtain $1,000 quickly, so she called her mother and made arrangements for her brother to bring over $1,000. At this point the mother called the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. This department sent undercover cars over to Illinois to look for the brother. The officers observed both the victims’ car and the brother’s car, and they witnessed the exchange of the money take place. The victims were both let out of the car eventually. The police followed the car until it was abandoned, at which time the police moved in and arrested both Batee and Powell after they fled into a field. Batee and Powell’s handguns were recovered from the field. Each of the defendants was in possession of $500 of ransom money, as well as other property belonging to the victims. Both victims identified the defendants.

MICHAEL BATEE, East St. Louis, Illinois, was convicted in March of one felony count of kidnapping, one felony count of carjacking, one felony count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He appeared today for sentencing before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh.

Co-defendant EDWARD POWELL, Belleville, Illinois, pled guilty in January to one felony count of kidnapping and was sentenced in March to 235 months in prison.

Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Judge and Michael Reilly, who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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