Costa Rica Run Ends: Dad Gets 3 Years for Kidnapping

HERON, MT – Jacob Israel Strong, 34, will spend the next three years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to international parental kidnapping. Strong snatched his two-year-old son and bolted to Costa Rica, violating a court-ordered parenting plan and triggering an international manhunt.

The trouble began in August 2021 when Strong failed to return the child to his mother following a scheduled visit. A state arrest warrant quickly followed for felony parental interference, but Strong had already begun making plans to disappear. The Sanders County Sheriff’s Office initiated the investigation, but the case quickly escalated beyond local jurisdiction.

Enter the FBI. In September 2021, federal agents took over the search, quickly discovering Strong hadn’t just skipped town – he’d skipped the country. Investigators learned Strong and his son had fled to Costa Rica in October 2021, aided by an accomplice. The feds spent months tracking leads, finally pinpointing their location in May 2022.

Strong’s Costa Rican hideout didn’t last. He was arrested by local authorities and deported back to the United States to face justice. Meanwhile, the child’s mother traveled to Costa Rica to reclaim her son, a reunion orchestrated by the FBI and local authorities. The emotional toll on the mother and child was significant, a fact hammered home by federal prosecutors during the sentencing hearing.

The two-day trial in March concluded with a guilty verdict on the charge of international parental kidnapping. Judge Morales didn’t just hand down a three-year sentence; he also ordered Strong to pay $6,948 in restitution for the costs incurred during the investigation and the child’s return. Strong will also serve a year of supervised release after his prison term.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Racicot and Brian C. Lowney secured the conviction. This case serves as a harsh warning: violating custody agreements and taking a child across international borders isn’t a victimless crime. It’s a federal offense with serious consequences, and the FBI will relentlessly pursue those who attempt it. The full details of the accomplice’s involvement have not yet been released.