KANSAS CITY, MO – A Kansas City woman is headed to federal prison for nine years after admitting her role in a violent carjacking that left a victim shaken and a stolen Camaro wrecked. Kerri J. Seaboldt, 32, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs on Thursday, February 23, 2023, after pleading guilty last April to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The July 14, 2020, carjacking wasn’t a random act. Court documents reveal a calculated scheme involving Seaboldt and two co-defendants: Destiny J. White, 34, of Blue Springs, Mo., and Charles V. Bai, 29, of Independence, Mo. The victim, identified as “K.B.” in court filings, was lured to an alleyway under false pretenses. White drove K.B. in his 2018 Chevrolet Camaro, claiming they were picking up Seaboldt, who was faking an argument with her boyfriend over the phone – a ruse orchestrated to set the stage for the theft.
That’s when Bai stepped in, brandishing a Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. He immediately demanded K.B. exit the vehicle, and then jumped into the driver’s seat, speeding away with the stolen Camaro. K.B. immediately contacted authorities, triggering a response from multiple law enforcement agencies. Using OnStar, K.B. was able to provide location information for his stolen vehicle. The pursuit didn’t last long; Bai quickly crashed the Camaro while attempting to evade officers.
This case was part of “Operation LeGend,” a federal initiative launched to combat a surge in violent crime in Kansas City in 2020 – a year that saw a record number of homicides, including the tragic death of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, for whom the operation is named. The operation flooded the city with federal agents from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, all aimed at suppressing violent crime.
Seaboldt isn’t the only one facing consequences. Charles V. Bai, the gunman, was previously sentenced to 13 years in federal prison. Destiny J. White received a three-year and four-month sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black prosecuted the case, which was a joint effort between the Independence and Kansas City Police Departments, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The lengthy sentences handed down in this case signal a zero-tolerance approach to violent crime in Kansas City. While Operation LeGend officially concluded, federal agencies continue to work alongside local law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks and bring perpetrators to justice, leaving little doubt that anyone involved in similar schemes will face severe repercussions.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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