Joseph Beecher, a 51-year-old resident of Craig, Colorado, has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson delivered the sentence for Beecher's involvement in the kidnapping of an employee from Michael Bloomberg’s ranch in February 2022.
Beecher faced charges including kidnapping, carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and transportation of stolen firearms. He was found guilty following a three-day trial that concluded on August 28.
Court documents reveal that on February 2, 2022, after being informed by his employer that he was no longer needed, Beecher broke into his employer’s home and stole two firearms. He then proceeded to Bloomberg's ranch with the intent to kill Bloomberg but instead found a female employee whom he took hostage at gunpoint. The woman was forced to drive Beecher to several locations as he attempted to locate another media mogul in Colorado. When unsuccessful, they ended up at the Stage Coach Motel in Cheyenne where SWAT officers rescued her unharmed and arrested Beecher.
Beecher was indicted on March 17 and pleaded not guilty on March 21, 2022. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the FBI and local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Vierbuchen prosecuted the case.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities.