A Colorado man has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for kidnapping a housekeeper at Michael Bloomberg’s Colorado ranch after attempting to kill the businessman. Joseph Beecher, 51, of Craig, Colorado, was convicted on charges of kidnapping, carjacking, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and transporting stolen firearms. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson, will be followed by five years of supervised release.
Beecher, who represented himself during his trial with minimal assistance from court-appointed counsel, was found guilty on all counts by a Wyoming federal jury in late August. The sentencing, initially scheduled for last month, was delayed to allow Beecher’s victim, a housekeeper identified as “A.E.,” and her husband to attend in person.
According to the criminal complaint filed in February 2022, Beecher rammed his 1997 Mazda pickup truck through the main gate of Bloomberg’s private ranch. Surveillance footage showed Beecher exiting his vehicle and inspecting the gate. Prosecutors revealed that earlier that day, Beecher had stolen firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, from his employer following an argument.
