4 men sentenced for kidnapping 16 immigrants
Reported by: David Biscobing

Last Update: 7:34 pm

A group of men operating a west Phoenix drop house have been sentenced to prison this month after holding more than a dozen illegal immigrants for ransom, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

Jose Mesa-Hernandez, 21, and Ulises Mora-Alcantara, 28, were sentenced September 18 to 10.5 years in jail followed by two years probation after each pleaded guilty to two kidnapping charges.

Two others, Milton Guzman-Lopez, 28, and Efrem Sanchez Plaza, 25, were also sentenced earlier this year to seven years in prison.

The defendants were arrested March 14 after police raided a home while responding to a suspicious person call.

After an investigation, police found that the men were holding 16 undocumented immigrants at gunpoint and demanding money from their families, police records show.

All four defendants were in the county illegally.


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