CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A man has been handed a sentence of 22 years in federal prison related to the kidnapping of a woman from the ranch owned by media entrepreneur Michael Bloomberg. This incident occurred as part of what prosecutors described as a botched plan to take the life of the billionaire.
Joseph Lee Beecher, a 51-year-old man, faced the possibility of life imprisonment following his conviction in August on charges of kidnapping, carjacking, and use of a firearm. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson during a hearing in Cheyenne, where Beecher was also ordered to pay $5,306 in restitution.
The victim, who served as a housekeeper for Bloomberg at his western Colorado ranch, was rescued without injury the morning after the kidnapping took place. Law enforcement discovered her alongside Beecher in a motel room located approximately 200 miles northeast of the ranch.
During the trial that lasted three days, Beecher chose to defend himself. Following the sentencing, he was returned to custody and was unavailable for immediate commentary. As of Friday, he was being detained at the Scotts Bluff County Jail in Gering, Nebraska.
The abduction incident occurred in February 2022, shortly after Beecher lost his job as a handyman at a hotel in Craig, Colorado. After breaking into his employer’s home and stealing two rifles, including an AR-15, he set out in search of Bloomberg, according to authorities.
While the specific motives behind Beecher’s intention to target Bloomberg remain unclear, prosecutors indicated that he was determined to kill the billionaire. That same day, Beecher drove his pickup truck through the gate of Bloomberg’s ranch, which is about 70 miles from Craig. However, Bloomberg was not present during the assault. The housekeeper, unfamiliar with Beecher, was taken at gunpoint, after which they traveled in her husband’s truck towards the Denver area before heading to Cheyenne.
Authorities were able to track the woman’s iPad to a motel where Beecher’s pickup truck was located. A SWAT team executed a rescue operation, successfully freeing the abducted woman and apprehending him.
After expressing his desire to represent himself in the trial, Beecher was provided with standby counsel, Thomas Fleener, from Laramie. Fleener opted not to comment on the sentence imposed on his client.
