Drug dealer found guilty of 2015 kidnapping that triggered Amber Alert

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man behind a kidnapping case that triggered an Amber Alert in 2015 has been found guilty.

39-year-old John Thomas of Detroit was found guilty in a federal courtroom on Monday.

On March 2, 2015, Thomas and five accomplices came from Detroit to Indianapolis and kidnapped two children. The children were the younger siblings of Whitney Blackwell, Thomas’s ex-girlfriend. Investigators said Blackwell had stolen drugs and drugs money from Thomas on Feb. 28. Testimony in court indicated that Thomas was a Detroit-based drug dealer.

Whitney Blackwell was placed on probation for drug possession.

Thomas and the co-conspirators took the children, ages 13 and 16, from the home in the 1200 block of LaSalle Street in the early morning hours.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI worked together to find the children and located them both later that evening.The suspects were found following a high-speed chase in Detroit.

“I want to commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for their immediate reaction to this kidnapping,” said United States Attorney Josh Minkler. “As a result of their non-stop efforts, this case was solved in less than 48 hours, the victims were rescued and the defendants arrested. Law enforcement has sent a strong message; when children are involved, we will send the cavalry.”

Thomas will be sentenced on Dec. 8. He faces a minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Prosecutors intend to seek a life sentence for Thomas.

All of the other co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.