Wyoming Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Extortion and Producing Child Pornography

February 5, 2010 - GRAND RAPIDS, MI—Richard Lee Minch, 50, of Wyoming, Michigan, was sentenced to 50 years in prison followed by a life term of court supervision for attempting to extort money from a business by threatening to shoot the employee and for producing images of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today.

The Honorable Janet T. Neff, U.S. District Judge, presided over the sentencing, and expressed her dismay at the scope and depth of Minch’s conduct. She described Minch as “devious,” “a predator” and a “ticking time bomb” who posed a serious threat to women and children. Judge Neff reflected that, in her 21 years’ experience serving as a judge, this case was in the top two or three of the most disturbing cases she had ever reviewed. In imposing the 50-year sentence, Judge Neff expressed her desire to incarcerate Minch for the rest of his life. “If I had the discretion to impose a life sentence, I would.”

From November 2, 2008 through January 15, 2009, Minch made scores of threatening and harassing telephone calls to stores, restaurants, and tanning salons, located in more than ten states. If a female employee answered the business phone, Minch claimed that he had a gun pointed at her and others from outside the building and threatened to shoot if she did not follow his instructions. Minch sometimes demanded money and then asked sexually suggestive questions of the victim to include having the victim describe her body or the clothing she was wearing. In some instances, Minch demanded the female victim perform a sexual act on herself or someone else.

In addition, Minch made calls to minor girls who advertised babysitting services on CraigsList. Through an elaborate ruse, he convinced a 13-year-old girl that he was a CIA operative and threatened to kill her family and friends if she failed to follow his instructions to take naked photographs of herself. In a written statement to Judge Neff, the child described her terror and fear that she could be abducted at anytime. She began sleeping during classes because school was the only place she felt safe.

At the time of his arrest, Minch was found to be in possession of numerous images of child pornography; 90 computer printouts of young teenage-girls posting babysitting services on Craigslist; a bag containing a knife, rope, handcuffs, KY jelly lubricant, condoms, a riding crop, and nipple clamps; zip ties that are often used a make-shift handcuffs; and a ski mask.

Minch has an extensive prior criminal history:

• In 1979, he was convicted of indecent exposure after an incident where he blocked the path of a young woman walking with her baby, exposed himself and began masturbating.

• In 1984, he was again convicted of indecent exposure for exposing himself to two fourteen-year-old girls outside of Wyoming High School.

• The same year, Minch sexually molested a six-year old girl.

• In 1992, he was convicted of Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct in the third degree after he stole a young woman’s purse and jacket and then attempted to lure her into a wooded area claiming he had found her belongings. Minch was found hiding in the woods nearby possessing a ski mask, handcuffs, gloves, wire cord, a plastic gun, a knife, a jar of Vaseline, and various sex toys.

• In 1994, he was convicted of felony extortion and indecent exposure for calling a Mother Hubbard convenience store, claiming to have a gun trained on the store, demanding money, and then instructing the female attendant to commit sexual acts on herself. Police located Minch pulled up next to a pay phone, masturbating in his car. Minch was sentenced to prison on August 9, 1994, and not discharged until June 25, 2005.

• On October 1, 2005, less than four months later, Minch was convicted of trespassing in an area where there had been complaints of a male exposing himself and masturbating while wearing a ski mask. Upon arrest, police found a ski mask in his car.

• In November 2005, Defendant was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following web site: www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The investigation of this matter was conducted by the FBI, the FBI Violent Crimes Fugitive Taskforce in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Independence Ohio Police Department, Kent County Sheriff’s Department, and Grand Rapids Police Department, with the cooperation of countless law enforcement authorities across the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru prosecuted the case.