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Letterman Targeted in Kidnapping Plot
Bears going through his trash are one thing. But kidnappers? That's not the kind of funny business David Letterman's used to dealing with at his vacation hideaway.
Authorities in Montana have nabbed a man for allegedly plotting to abduct the Late Show host's infant son and nanny from his isolated Rocky Mountain ranch and hold them for $5 million ransom.
Sally Hilander, a spokeswoman for the Montana Department of Corrections, identified the suspect as Kelly A. Frank, a subcontractor who had been doing some painting work at the sprawling 2,700-acre retreat in Choteau that Letterman bought in 1999.
Hilander said authorities were tipped off to the ransom scheme by an acquaintance Frank tried to recruit for the plot. The unidentified friend balked and went to police, who tracked down Frank on Sunday.
The 43-year-old was arraigned Thursday on charges of felony solicitation, felony theft (for apparently overcharging the Late Show host for painting) and misdemeanor obstruction for allegedly lying to detectives who were investigating the plot. He's currently jailed on $600,000 bail.
Per an affidavit filed by Teton County Attorney Joe Coble, Frank told the acquaintance he had a key to the compound, knew the location of the baby's room and hoped to sweep in when Letterman and his family returned to the ranch. Frank is quoted as telling his friend that he wanted to take the nanny "so that she could take care of the child."
In a brief statement, Letterman said, "We will be forever grateful for [the authorities'] tireless efforts and determination to vigorously pursue this situation."
A spokesman for Letterman's WorldWide Pants production company said the entertainer had finished taping this week's Late Show days ago, and there was no word on whether he, girlfriend Regina Lasko and their 16-month-old son, Harry Joseph, were in Montana or the New York region.
Apparently Letterman had hired Frank without knowing about the handyman's prior record. Frank was under state supervision for a 1999 conviction for stalking and intimidation. The victim was a woman who claims he also kidnapped and raped her. He spent six months in jail on the stalking count and received a 10-year suspended prison sentence for felony intimidation. (Authorities are expected to ask that his probation be revoked in light of the Letterman allegations.)
Until now, the worst Letterman has had to deal with in Montana are bad winters and rogue bears. A 300-pound black bear twice broke into the ranch house in 2003 and, upon returning a third time, was trapped and relocated.
Frank's arrest conjured memories of Margaret Ray, the persistent stalker who proclaimed herself "Mrs. David Letterman" and was repeatedly arrested for breaking into the talk show host's Connecticut home. She served 10 months in prison and 14 months in a mental hospital, where she was diagnosed a schizophrenic. In 1998, she committed suicide by stepping in front of a train.
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