In Wisconsin, a 15‑year‑old has been sentenced to ten years in prison for planning an armed kidnapping of a 7‑year‑old boy, snatching him in front of his father and demanding a $100,000 ransom.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski handed down a 10‑year prison term for Barry Allen Coleman, followed by seven years of extended supervision, for the abduction of Jamal White. The court also credited Coleman with the 451 days he has already served.
In July, Coleman entered a guilty plea to one count of robbery with force and another count of firearm possession as an adjudicated delinquent.
In return for his plea, prosecutors dropped the kidnapping‑while‑using‑a‑dangerous‑weapon charge and the possession‑of‑a‑dangerous‑weapon charge for a minor, although the offenses were noted during sentencing.
At the sentencing hearing, Coleman apologized to the victim and his family, stating he was “truly sorry” for his actions.
“I am the only person responsible for my actions,” he said, according to Milwaukee ABC affiliate WISN. He went on to add more to his apology.
“I took him away as he was yelling for me not to take him away from his family,” the defendant added. “I knew it was wrong then, and I know it is wrong now.”
Judge Borowski described Coleman’s conduct as “aggravated” and “heinous,” yet he emphasized that Coleman’s age played a key role in shaping the sentence.
“The only reason, Mr. Coleman, we’re discussing these numbers is because of your age,” Borowski said, according to local NBC affiliate WTMJ‑TV. He noted that the crime alone could have warranted a much longer initial prison term.
According to earlier reports, Coleman was 14 when prosecutors say he devised a scheme to rob Jamal White’s parents, a plan that escalated into the child’s abduction in July 2025.
A probable cause affidavit reveals that Jamal’s father told Milwaukee police he and his son were heading home from a park when a white Jeep Renegade pulled into the driveway behind them, blocking their car. An armed man in black exited the SUV, causing the father to dash inside while Jamal ran toward the backyard.
“He heard his son continually screaming, ‘Daddy!’ and when he looked outside he observed the black male get back into the car and the car drove off with his son inside,” the affidavit states.
Investigators reported that surveillance video captured co‑defendant Fabian Johnson brandishing a handgun while Coleman, also armed, chased Jamal, lifted him, and carried him back to the waiting Jeep. Corey Williams allegedly drove the vehicle away.
Williams later told detectives that Coleman initially intended to rob the boy’s mother, whom he described as “a well‑known drug dealer” who frequently carried cash and drugs. When she failed to return home, Coleman allegedly redirected the plan toward Jamal’s father. After the father fled into the house, Williams said Coleman announced, “the plan had changed,” and opted to hold the boy for ransom.
The affidavit indicates that Johnson called the child’s mother and demanded $100,000 in cash and jewelry for her son’s safe return, while the trio held Jamal overnight at Williams’ residence.
Williams also informed investigators that Coleman and Johnson debated physically harming the boy to demonstrate seriousness about the ransom, but they dropped the idea after Williams objected.
Police rescued Jamal roughly 24 hours after the kidnapping. The boy later told investigators he spent his captivity playing with toys, watching cartoons, and eating McDonald’s.
Prosecutors previously labeled Coleman as the “mastermind” of the kidnapping plot. Williams and Johnson also face charges related to the case.
Records show that the cases against Williams and Johnson remain pending.
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