Louisiana Man Charged with International Parental Kidnapping Faces Prison Time and a Fine if Convicted

New Orleans, Louisiana – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Kidus Awlachew, age 32, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on November 29, 2022, in a one-count bill of information with international parental kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1204. The charge stems from Awlachew allegedly retaining a child in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, with the intent to obstruct the lawful exercise of another person’s parental rights.

Awlachew faces up to three years in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, up to one year of supervised release following imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee if convicted.

U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was filed as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide campaign initiated by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to tackle the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood, led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, marshals federal, state, and local resources to find, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. To learn more about Project Safe Childhood, go to www.usdoj.gov/psc. For additional information on internet safety education, go to www.usdoj.gov/psc and select the "resources" option.

U.S. Attorney Evans applauded the Federal Bureau of Investigation's work in this case. The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg.