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BEAUMONT—  A 79-year-old man from Orange will spend more than 24 years in federal prison in connection to the 2024 kidnapping of an attorney.

Putnam Darwin Richardson pleaded guilty to kidnapping and brandishing a firearm and was sentenced to 294 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 9, 2025, according to information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Thanks to the quick and outstanding work of the FBI, in concert with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange Police Department, an innocent victim was rescued from the clutches of a gun-wielding kidnapper and returned safely home to his family, and a now-twice convicted armed kidnapper is returned home to prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin Jr. “This case serves as a reminder that violent predators come in all shapes, sizes and age-ranges, and to always stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings.”  

“Putnam Richardson clearly failed to learn from his previous imprisonment for kidnapping, and he definitely underestimated FBI Houston’s capacity to mobilize critical resources when a life is at risk,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “We are in the business of saving lives, and cases like this are why we exist. I’m especially grateful to the FBI Beaumont investigators, crisis negotiators, and special surveillance teams who swiftly deployed and worked tirelessly for days to rescue and reunite the victim with his family.”

 According to information presented in court, on July 15, 2024, a kidnapping for ransom was reported to the FBI.  The victim, a local attorney, was kidnapped at gunpoint that morning after arriving at his law office in Beaumont.  The victim’s wife received a call from the victim’s cell phone, during which the kidnapper indicated the victim was being held hostage in exchange for $1 million ransom.  The kidnapper also indicated he would kill the victim if the ransom was not met.  Richardson, a former client of the victim, was identified as a suspect during the investigation.  Richardson had previously been convicted of kidnapping in 1984 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.  On July 17, 2024, Richardson was arrested at a gas station and the victim was rescued by law enforcement authorities.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Beaumont Police Department, the Orange Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.