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Colorado Man Sentenced for Kidnapping at Bloomberg Ranch

joseph-beecher

A man from northwestern Colorado was sentenced to 22 years in prison for his involvement in a violent kidnapping that ended in a hotel standoff.

The crime took place in February 2022, starting at a ranch recently purchased by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Kidnapping at Bloomberg’s Ranch

The incident began when Joseph Beecher, who worked for a local employer, had an argument that led him to burglarize his employer’s home.

He stole two rifles, including a powerful AR-15, before fleeing the scene.

After committing the burglary, Beecher drove nearly 50 miles to the nearby ranch owned by Michael Bloomberg, where he rammed the front gate with his truck and forced his way into the property.

Inside the home, Beecher found a housekeeper and took her hostage at gunpoint.

He threatened her with the rifle and forced her to leave the ranch with him in her husband’s pickup truck, beginning a long and dangerous journey across state lines to Wyoming.

Hostage, Chase, and SWAT Standoff

As Beecher and the hostage traveled north from Colorado, a statewide alert was quickly issued for her abduction.

The woman was forced to go with him through Denver and then onto Cheyenne, Wyoming, where they checked into a hotel under false pretenses.

The authorities were alerted to the situation after surveillance footage confirmed Beecher’s presence at the hotel, setting off a police pursuit.

A SWAT team was quickly assembled, and officers were called to the scene after a fire broke out in another hotel room nearby.

This fire gave police an opportunity to rescue a man trapped inside before moving in on Beecher’s room. By 2:30 a.m., the SWAT team had successfully taken Beecher into custody and found the stolen AR-15 rifle in his hotel room.

Court Verdict and Sentence

Beecher chose to represent himself in court after being deemed mentally competent to stand trial.

In August 2024, he was convicted on multiple charges, including kidnapping, carjacking, and transporting stolen firearms.

He was sentenced to a total of 22 years in federal prison, a sentence that reflects the severity of the crime and the danger posed to his victim.

In addition to his prison term, Beecher was ordered to pay more than $5,000 in restitution for the damage he caused during the crime.

Upon his release from prison, he will also be required to serve five years of supervised probation, which will include further restrictions and monitoring.