(WWJ) - A Massachusetts man was sentenced to nearly 11 years behind bars after he came to Michigan in an attempt to kidnap an ex-girlfriend he hadn't seen in over 20 years, federal prosecutors announced this week.
Authorities said Damon Burke, 49, of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts had a history of harassing his former flame, but called the series of events leading to his 2021 arrest "bizarre and frightening."
"Burke had previously stalked the victim and restrained her in a vehicle without her consent after their relationship ended," the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said. "That episode led to a conviction on state charges of criminal possession of a firearm in New York in 2002."
For over two decades, Burke had no contract with his former girlfriend before he began to harass her in March 2021 after police say he drove his Mercedes Benz from the East Coast to Metro Detroit.
According to police, Burke showed up to a golf course in Northville and physically attacked his ex-girlfriend's roommate before stealing his house key.
He was allegedly driving to the home of the victim in West Bloomfield when he was pulled over by police.
Authorities said they located a Louis Vuitton bag in his vehicle, which contained a stun gun, zip ties, brass knuckles, duct tape, handcuffs, smoke grenades, and other items.
A letter made out to his ex-girlfriend was also found in the Mercedes that said, "I’ll come back to you," FOX 2 reported.
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“It sounds more like a movie than real life,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne said in a court filing via The Detroit News.
Burke pled guilty in March to attempted kidnapping charges. He also pleaded guilty to armed robbery.
Burke was sentenced to 12 to 25 years in prison for the robbery and assault of his ex-girlfriend's roommate -- he will serve a separate prison sentence at the same time as the federal sentence.
“This conviction is a result of a joint effort between local and federal law enforcement to apprehend our most violent offenders and hold them accountable," Ison said. "The swift action of law enforcement at the outset of this case surely prevented what could have been a far more serious crime. And the offender’s sentence will serve to protect the victim and our community going forward.”
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