15-year-old who orchestrated armed kidnapping, ransoming of 'screaming' 7-year-old in front of boy's father is sentenced to prison

A 15-year-old in Wisconsin will spend a decade behind bars for orchestrating the armed kidnapping of a 7-year-old boy in front of his father before holding the boy for a $100,000 ransom.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge David Borowski on Friday sentenced Barry Allen Coleman to 10 years in a state correctional facility followed by an additional seven years of extended supervision for the abduction of Jamal White, records show. The court credited Coleman with 451 days of time served.

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In July, Coleman pleaded guilty to one count of robbery with use of force and one count of possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dismissed charges of kidnapping while using a dangerous weapon as a party to a crime and possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, though those offenses were read in at sentencing.

During the sentencing hearing, Coleman apologized to the victim and his family, saying he was “truly sorry” for his actions.

“I am the only person responsible for my actions,” he said, Milwaukee ABC affiliate WISN reported. The apology continued.

“I took him away as he was yelling for me not to take him away from his family,” the defendant added. “I knew it was wrong then, and I know it was wrong now.”

Borowski called Coleman’s conduct “aggravated” and “heinous,” but said his age was a major factor in determining the sentence.

“The only reason, Mr. Coleman, we’re discussing the numbers we’re discussing is because of your age,” Borowski said, according to local NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV. The judge indicated that the crime itself could have justified a significantly longer term of initial confinement.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Coleman was 14 when prosecutors accused him of masterminding a plan to rob the parents of Jamal White before it escalated into the child’s abduction in July 2025.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Jamal’s father told Milwaukee police that he and his son were returning home from a park when a white Jeep Renegade pulled into the driveway behind them, blocking their vehicle. An armed man dressed in black got out of the SUV, prompting the father to run inside the home while Jamal fled toward the backyard.

“He heard his son continually screaming, ‘Daddy!’ and when he looked outside he observed the black male get back into the car and the car drove off with his son inside,” the affidavit states.

Investigators said surveillance footage showed co-defendant Fabian Johnson pointing a handgun while Coleman, who was also armed, chased after Jamal, picked him up and carried him back to the waiting Jeep. Corey Williams allegedly drove the vehicle away.

Williams later told detectives Coleman had originally planned to rob the boy’s mother, whom he claimed was “a well-known drug dealer” known to carry cash and drugs. When she never returned home, Coleman allegedly shifted the plan to rob Jamal’s father instead. But after the father escaped into the house, Williams said Coleman announced “the plan had changed” and decided they would hold the boy for ransom.

According to the affidavit, Johnson called the child’s mother and demanded $100,000 in cash and jewelry in exchange for her son’s safe return while the trio kept Jamal overnight at Williams’ residence.

Williams also told investigators that Coleman and Johnson discussed physically harming the boy to prove they were serious about the ransom demand, but abandoned the idea after he objected.

Police rescued Jamal about 24 hours after the kidnapping. The boy later told investigators he spent his time playing with toys, watching cartoons and eating McDonald’s while being held captive.

Prosecutors have previously described Coleman as the “mastermind” behind the kidnapping plot. Williams and Johnson have also been charged in connection with the case.

The cases against Williams and Johnson remain pending, records show.

The post 15-year-old who orchestrated armed kidnapping, ransoming of ‘screaming’ 7-year-old in front of boy’s father is sentenced to prison first appeared on Law & Crime.