Alleged meth dealers accused of kidnapping, beating JBLM soldier

By KOMO Staff Published: Jul 31, 2012 at 8:25 PM PDT Last Updated: Jul 31, 2012 at 11:29 PM PDT
Alleged meth dealers accused of kidnapping, beating JBLM soldier
Guards check the identification of drivers passing through a gate at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Tuesday, March 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
SEATTLE -- A meth buy turned ugly for a Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier last week when he was kidnapped and tortured by his drug dealers, according to Pierce County prosecutors.

Four alleged dealers were charged Monday with first degree kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment. The alleged kidnappers -- Jacques Eugene Dumont Gerber, Frederick Walter Clifford, Melissa Marie Parr and Krista Mae James -- are accused of punching, tasing and shooting the soldier with an air rifle as he was tied up throughout the night of July 24.

The victim told police he went to Parr's trailer to buy methamphetamine. He went home but returned a short time later, at which point he was accused of being "a snitch." He was then tied up, beaten, tased and shot 100 times with an air rifle, according to court documents. He said he was tied up for most of the night, then untied in the morning so he could do drugs with Parr and Clifford.

Prosecutors say Parr then told the victim he owed her $400 for being a snitch. She concocted a plan to get that money by ordering the victim to call his family and friends to ask for cash.

When that didn't work, Parr told Clifford she'd give him drugs if he took the victim out to find money, according to court documents. Clifford then took the victim to several locations, where he introduced him as "his hostage" to a number of people, prosecutors say.

That afternoon, the victim talked Clifford into taking him to the gates of Joint Base Lewis-McChord so he could go inside and get more money. When the victim reached the gate, he told a clerk to call military police, who in turn called Lakewood police.

The victim was able to identify Parr from photo montage and police went to her trailer with a search warrant in hand. She and Clifford were arrested and police found meth and a bb gun inside the home. Parr allegedly admitted to being a drug dealer and told police Gerber was her supplier.

The victim identified Gerber as being the other man who shot and beat him. James admitted to being present throughout the ordeal and allegedly made the victim hand over his bank card. She said she only went along with the plan because she was afraid of of Parr.