Kidnappers Get 20 Years in Plea Deal

Two men pleaded guilty this week in the case of a Gwynn Oak man who was abducted from his home, thrown into a van and held for ransom after returning from a night at a casino.

Gary Fayall, 32, of Dundalk, and Darron Finley, 41, of Pikesville, agreed to plead guilty to kidnapping and extortion in exchange for sentences of 45 years in prison, with all but 20 years suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation.

On the night of Jan. 17, 2024, a group of four men — at least one armed with a gun — grabbed Joel Edwards, 64, in the driveway of his Forest Hill Road home, assaulted him and forced him into a white Honda Odyssey minivan, according to police.

The following night, the kidnappers contacted Edwards’ wife and demanded $300,000. Edwards was eventually released after the suspects became spooked by police who were watching as his wife dropped a bag of cash at an agreed-upon location.

“She throws the money out of the window and then drives away. That money is never recovered by the kidnappers, and ultimately it’s recovered by the police department,” Assistant State’s Attorney Lauren Stone said.

Investigators used cell phone records, surveillance video from Edwards’ home and a nearby McDonald’s, bank records and other evidence to link Fayall and Finley to the kidnapping.

Police say the group had been following Edwards’ truck via GPS trackers for about a week prior to the kidnapping.

Fayall entered his plea in Baltimore County Circuit Court Monday and Finley entered his plea Tuesday before Judge Robert Cahill. The pleas came as the case was set to go to trial, with a jury selected Monday but not sworn in.

Abducted After Night at Casino

Edwards’ wife witnessed the abduction from inside the home and immediately called police. She told officers her husband frequently visits Maryland Live Casino in Anne Arundel County and was returning home from the casino that night, according to charging documents.

Police said the kidnappers took Edwards to a home — believed to be in east Baltimore — where he was zip-tied to a chair. After becoming spooked by police monitoring the ransom drop, someone inside the home freed Edwards, covered his face with a piece of fabric, walked him several blocks away and told him to keep walking.

Edwards later flagged down an MTA police officer in Baltimore City near North Avenue and I-83. Police located the white minivan in Baltimore City and matched the vehicle identification number to Finley, Stone said.

Baltimore police arrested Finley on June 26, 2024, as he exited a plane.

Charging documents state Finley is also suspected in a similar kidnapping in Arizona. Stone said Finley will be extradited to Arizona to face charges in that case.