Three men with the nicknames of Joker, Peckerwood and Snake are now facing federal charges in connection with a kidnapping and torture case in September 2016.
Federal prosecutors announced Friday that they have filed charges against Gerald Holmes, 25, his father, Randal G. Holmes, 53, and Richard Phoenix, 75 after a grand jury unsealed a five-count indictment last month.
The trio previously faced state charges; those charges have been dismissed, clearing the way for the federal charges.
According to court documents, Gerald and Randal Holmes held a victim at gunpoint, telling the victim to call a second victim that they needed to come over to a house in Independence, Missouri.
When the second victim arrived, Randal Holmes pointed a firearm at the second victim and assaulted him while driving to Phoenix’s house. Once there, the second victim was continuously beaten with fists, a hammer and tin snips/clippers, while asking him where some alleged drug money was located.
The trio was eventually found in possession of several firearms.
