ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis businessman man who built a tanning and massage empire pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to charges related to the kidnapping and torture of a Maplewood man.
Todd Beckman was known for the companies he founded, like TanCo and Massage Luxe. But, in court, he also admitted to running a marijuana business, and when one of his dealers stole from him, he went after him.
After a year in custody, the 53-year-old Beckman shuffled into federal court Thursday missing the tan from his company photo, wearing striped jail clothes and cuffs on his wrists and ankles.
“He had everything going for him, beautiful family, business going great and all of a sudden he's staring down a potential life sentence,” said Beckman’s attorney Travis Noble outside the federal courthouse in downtown. “I think that it really kind of hit him today.”
Prosecutors said the founder of multiple fitness and lifestyle companies in the St. Louis area was receiving marijuana from California - 50 to 80 pounds at a time - and was selling it in St. Louis.
In his plea agreement, Beckman admits when one of his dealers stole several pounds of marijuana and cash from him, he and three others hatched a plan to 'make him pay.' They kidnapped the Maplewood man, suspended him from support beams in a basement, shaved his head and threatened to kill him at gunpoint.
Prosecutors also said Beckman pulled the trigger of an unloaded gun at the victim's head and threatened to shrink wrap his dead body and ship him to California. Beckman told the judge he doesn't remember those allegations but conceded prosecutors have witnesses who said it’s true.
“I think they all just got caught up in this 'where', all of sudden this snowball started coming down and nobody stopped it,” says Noble.
The following day, Beckman admits the victim was held in a shipping container where the torture continued. Eventually the man was released when his parents paid a $27,000 ransom.
At one point during his plea, Beckman told the judge, "It's a little overwhelming."
“He's absolutely ashamed because of what he's put his family through. The attention he's brought upon the companies,” said Noble.
The crimes could bring a life sentence, but prosecutors agreed to not ask for more than 20 years in prison. Still, the judge told him she was promising him nothing. Sentencing is set for February while two more of Beckman’s accused co-conspirators are expected to plead guilty Friday. Another did so earlier in the week and the fifth person in the group pleaded guilty to not reporting the crime earlier this year.
