Kidnap suspects plead guilty

0
Brittany Long

Three of four people indicted in a 2013 kidnapping case pleaded guilty to amended charges Thursday.
Brittany Long, 20; Blake Long, 21; and Nicholas Martinez, 19, all of Toledo, appeared before Judge Robert
Pollex. Each pleaded guilty to a single count of abduction in the August 2013 incident as part of a plea
deal.
The trial in the case for the fourth codefendant, Hui Zhang, 23, Toledo, is to begin Wednesday.
The pleas come in the wake of an unusual case that took shape last summer.
According to authorities, on Aug. 18, 2013, a University of Toledo student from China was contacted by
Zhang about going along on a trip to Cedar Point the

Blake Long

next day.
On Aug. 19 the student was picked up at his Toledo residence by Zhang and Brittany Long, and they then
drove to pick up Blake Long and Martinez. Martinez reportedly had a knife in his possession during the
incident.
Instead of going to Cedar Point, the group drove the victim to a vacant home in Bowling Green, where he
was robbed of his credit card. The card was then used to purchase items in the city, and group members
also reportedly attempted to withdraw money from a bank account with the card.
The victim was reportedly later taken back to Lucas County to a hotel, where he was held while members of
the group attempted to extort ransom money from his relatives in China. They were apparently unable to
do so due to a language barrier.
The victim was later released unharmed.
Each of the defendants had been indicted on one count each of kidnapping and

Nicholas
Martinez

aggravated robbery.
However, Brittany Long, Blake Long and Martinez each pleaded to a single amended count of abduction, a
third-degree felony, with the aggravated robbery count to be dropped at sentencing.
As an additional condition of their plea, the trio is to testify against Zhang in her trial.
The proceedings on Thursday were somewhat unusual in that Pollex’ usual courtroom, Courtroom One, was
being painted, necessitating the use of the Probate Courtroom on the second floor of the courthouse for
the matter to go on the record.
Bond was continued for the defendants. They are to be sentenced on the morning of June 17.

No posts to display