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Man Gets 22 Years In Prison For Kidnapping Over $500 Drug Debt

DETROIT (WWJ) - A Flint man who authorities say kidnapped another man and threatened to kill his family over a $500 outstanding drug debt has been sentenced to federal prison.

James Elbert III was sentenced this week to 21 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of kidnapping and felon in possession of ammunition. The 29-year-old had been facing a life sentence.

Because of his prior record, Elbert was designated as an armed career criminal and a career offender, which subjected him to a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years in prison. He was also sentenced to three years of federal supervised release following his term of incarceration.

According to court documents, Elbert, a drug dealer, traveled from Arkansas to Michigan in March 2017 to collect a $500 drug debt from a 58-year-old man. Elbert and co-defendant Steven Bridges, who were both armed with firearms, kidnapped the victim from a Flint Township apartment complex, tied him up, placed a plastic bag over his head, and transported him to a vacant house in Flint, prosecutors said.

Once at the vacant house, Elbert and Bridges took the victim to the basement where they tied him to a chair and placed a gag in his mouth, which they secured by wrapping tape around his head and neck, according to court documents. During the kidnapping, prosecutors say Elbert made telephone calls to the victim's family threatening to kill to the victim if his debt was not paid.

Officers with the Flint Township Police Department ultimately learned of the victim's location and rescued him before he was subjected to further harm. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was later released in good condition.

Bridges, who previously pleaded guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm, is expected to be sentenced February 26. He faces at least 7 years and up to life in prison.

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