Escaped Georgia inmates found in Broward after kidnapping of Lyft driver indicted

"A federal grand jury in Miami returned indictments on Wednesday against Stevenson Charles, 24, Yusuf Minor, 31, and Naod Yohannes, 25, in connection with the Dec. 22 kidnapping that began near Atlanta. They are charged with conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, Hobbs Act robbery, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Charles is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition."

"The Lyft driver accepted a request for a ride that came from a woman's account early that morning, and she met the three men instead when she arrived for pickup, according to the complaint. She "recalled feeling uneasy" but drove them to their scheduled destination. Once the woman unlocked her car doors to let the men out, one of them wrapped a rope around her neck, and she was dragged into the backseat of the car and her hands tied together, the complaint said."

"The men told her to look down and keep her eyes closed, the Lyft driver told authorities once she had been recovered from the kidnapping. The woman was repeatedly told she would be killed if she did not follow their commands or if she struggled. For as long as 10 hours, the woman was held inside the car with the escaped inmates. Based on their conversations, she surmised they were inmates who had escaped, the complaint said."

Stevenson Charles, Yusuf Minor, and Naod Yohannes escaped from DeKalb County Jail near Atlanta and were later captured in Broward County. A federal grand jury in Miami indicted them on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, Hobbs Act robbery, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; Charles faces additional felon-in-possession firearm and ammunition charges. On Dec. 22 a Lyft driver accepted a ride from a woman's account and met the three men. One wrapped a rope around her neck, dragged her into the backseat, and tied her hands. She was held for up to ten hours and threatened with death if she did not comply. U.S. Marshals alerted FBI's Violent Crime and Fugitive Task Force and shared vehicle details.

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