12/21/2009

News / Former Police Officer Convicted of Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Other Crimes Sentenced

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney W. WALTER WILKINS stated today that DAVID ALLEN DIETZ, age 25, of Lexington, South Carolina, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for the following offenses: (1) interstate kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201; (2) carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1); (3) use and discharge of a firearm in connection with a violent crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c); and (4) interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2312. United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie of Columbia sentenced DIETZ to 35 years which consisted of 25 years' imprisonment as to the kidnapping and carjacking charges followed by 10 years' imprisonment as to the firearms charge.

Evidence presented at trial showed that Dietz, a former policeman and probation officer who was employed by the Department of Social Services at the time of his arrest, abducted his former girlfriend and their infant son from her West Columbia address on January 3, 2009. Dietz had a rocky relationship with the victim and had previously pointed a firearm and threatened to kill members of her family in the months leading up to the abduction.

Evidence showed that in the days prior to the kidnaping, Dietz met a 17-year-old girl, abducted her, sexually assaulted her on at least five occasions, and forced her to assist him in the abduction of his former girlfriend and son. On the evening of January 3rd, Dietz dressed a police officer and ambushed his former girlfriend and her family as they returned from church. Dietz threatened to kill members of the former girlfriend’s family, took a vehicle belonging to a family member at gunpoint, and forced his former girlfriend into the stolen vehicle along with the 17-year-old victim, and his infant son in the back seat. As he drove away, Dietz fired several shots into another vehicle where several family members, including children, were located.

Dietz then took the victims to Geogia and checked into a Red Roof Inn in Madison, Georgia, where officers located the stolen vehicle in a parking lot. When officers went to his motel room in an effort to get him to surrender, Dietz saw the officers through an open window and fired several shots in their direction. A 13-hour hostage negotiation ensued, during which Dietz threatened to kill officers, himself, his former girlfriend and infant son, as well as the 17-year-old rape victim. Dietz finally surrendered after an extensive negotiation and the hostages were released unharmed.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from both the Columbia and Atlanta Divisions, the West Columbia Police Department, the Georgia State Patrol, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Morgan County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Moore and Stacey Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

http://columbia.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2009/co121809a.htm

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