Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Gunpoint Kidnapping Over Drug Debt
A federal judge sentenced 35-year-old Jatavion Biggins to 240 months in prison for kidnapping a victim at gunpoint in Peoria, Illinois, and demanding ransom to settle a drug debt. The conviction triggers mandatory supervised release and forfeiture of assets used in the crime.
680news.comCHICAGO — Jatavion Biggins, 35, of Peoria, Illinois, received a 20-year prison sentence on June 1, 2026, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for kidnapping a victim at gunpoint and attempting to collect a drug-related ransom.
The sentence covers one count of kidnapping and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Biggins must serve 240 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered forfeiture of any property traceable to the offense.
Biggins and an accomplice forced the victim into a vehicle at gunpoint in Peoria on August 19, 2023. They drove the victim to a separate location, demanded payment to resolve an outstanding drug debt, and threatened further violence. The victim ultimately escaped.
The case forms part of broader federal enforcement against violent crimes tied to narcotics trafficking in the Central District of Illinois. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and local police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Olsen prosecuted the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
The 20-year term reflects the statutory mandatory minimum of seven years for brandishing a firearm during a violent crime, stacked atop the kidnapping charge. Prior to sentencing, Biggins remained in federal custody since his arrest in late 2023.
This marks the latest federal prosecution in Illinois linking gunpoint abductions to street-level drug debts. The original complaint charged Biggins under 18 U.S.C. § 1201(a) for kidnapping and 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii) for brandishing a firearm. The plea agreement filed in 2025 eliminated additional counts in exchange for his guilty plea.
Sentencing occurred one day after the Department of Justice released details of the case. Biggins must report to the Bureau of Prisons designation process within 30 days of the judgment. The conviction automatically bars Biggins from possessing firearms for life under federal law.
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