Manchester Men Sentenced for Kidnapping Ransom Scheme

Two Manchester, Kentucky men, Kenneth Ray Grubb, 33, and Landon Wagers, 19, were handed prison sentences on Monday for their role in a kidnapping and ransom scheme. U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom sentenced Grubb to 112 months and Wagers to 84 months in prison.

According to their plea agreements, the duo was hired by a drug dealer to bring an individual to them in exchange for payment. Grubb and Wagers worked together to arrange a meeting with the victim under the pretense of purchasing a firearm. However, when the victim arrived at the residence, the men forced him into a vehicle and began driving towards the dealer’s residence.

Before reaching the dealer’s residence, Grubb and Wagers stopped the vehicle and assaulted the victim, striking him multiple times and forcing him into the trunk. The victim was lacerated by Grubb’s metal knuckles during the assault. The drug dealer provided Grubb and Wagers with methamphetamine as payment for delivering the victim.

The investigation into the kidnapping and assault was conducted by the ATF and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program, a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.

U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV, and other law enforcement officials jointly announced the sentence. The men will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years upon their release from prison.

Under federal law, Grubb and Wagers must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. The sentence is a result of the men’s guilty pleas to the kidnapping charge. The investigation and prosecution of this case were a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

The “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program has been instrumental in reducing violent crime in communities across the country. The program involves a comprehensive approach to public safety, including investigating and prosecuting crimes, as well as prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

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