A Heron man was sentenced to three years in prison for kidnapping his son and fleeing to Costa Rica, the Grimy Times has learned.
In a shocking case of parental disregard, Jacob Israel Strong, 37, was found guilty of international parental kidnapping in a two-day trial held in March. Strong, also known as Jacob Israel Guill, took his two-year-old son from his mother in January 2020, violating a parenting plan they had agreed to as part of their divorce proceedings.
Strong failed to return the child as scheduled in August 2021, prompting his ex-wife to contact the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office. Despite attempts by law enforcement to locate Strong, he remained at large, leading the FBI to open an investigation in September 2021. The agency discovered that Strong and the child were living in Costa Rica in January 2022.
According to court documents, Strong paid a man to transport them to Costa Rica in October 2021 and lived with him for about six weeks. The child’s mother eventually tracked Strong down, and Costa Rica officials arrested and deported him back to the United States in May 2022. The child was reunited with his mother and returned to the United States.
Strong was sentenced to three years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court also ordered Strong to pay $6,948 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Racicot and Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case, while the FBI conducted the investigation.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the serious consequences of parental kidnapping and the importance of respecting court-ordered parenting plans.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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