A Wyoming federal jury has convicted Joseph Beecher, a 51-year-old man from Colorado, on multiple charges, including kidnapping and carjacking, after he attempted to assassinate Michael Bloomberg at his Colorado ranch in 2022. Beecher, who represented himself with minimal help from a court-appointed standby counsel, was found guilty on Wednesday after a swift two-day trial.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Beecher on charges of kidnapping, carjacking, using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and transportation of stolen firearms. The conviction comes with the possibility of a life sentence, with a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison. Beecher’s sentencing is scheduled for November 18.
The case unfolded after Beecher, who had recently been fired from his job at an apartment complex in Craig, Colorado, broke into his former employer’s home and stole firearms, including a Bushmaster AR-style rifle. He then drove to Bloomberg’s ranch with the intent to kill the former New York City mayor. However, upon finding only a female housekeeper on the property, Beecher took her hostage at gunpoint.
