4 men sentenced to life for abducting man, killing him after getting ransom from family in 2018

WASHINGTON — Four men were sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the abduction and murder of 28-year-old Andre Simmons, Jr. in 2018. 

According to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Darin Moore, Jr. 29, of Bowie, Md., Gabriel Brown, 33, and John Sweeney, 29, both of Washington, D.C., were each sentenced to life in prison on the charge of kidnapping resulting in death, and 45 years in prison on counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, first-degree premeditated murder and felony murder, all to run concurrent to each other. Additionally, James Taylor, 33, also of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping resulting in death and 45 years in prison for felony murder, to run concurrently. All four were found guilty, on November 1, 2022.

Simmons was abducted at gunpoint on June 19, 2018. He was bound with zip ties and forced into a car by Moore and Sweeney. During the next few hours, several ransom calls were made from Taylor's phone to Simmons' family, who delivered $7,000 in cash to a drop-off location as instructed by the kidnappers. Brown subsequently went to get the money.

An hour after the ransom payment was made, around 6:25 a.m. on June 20, 2018, authorities say the defendants shot Simmons 19 times and left his zip-tied body in an alley off the 600 block of Atlantic Street SE.

The victim's hands were still bound when his body was found by officers. 

Police say the four men then met up in Capitol Heights, Maryland to divide up the proceeds of the ransom.

Officers arrested Moore on June 20, 2018, Brown on June 27, 2018, Taylor on Aug. 17, 2018, and finally Sweeney on Jan. 14, 2019. All four have been in custody since their arrest.