The next day, Beckman bought plastic shrink wrap and a heat gun, and threatened to shoot the victim, shrink wrap him and ship him to California.

That same day, Caleb Laubinger and the other defendants made a series of calls to the victim’s parents demanding ransom money. The Laubinger brothers then tied the victim up in a shipping container on a vacant lot Beckman owned in Fenton, the plea says.

On Nov. 23, Beckman and Blake Laubinger forced the victim to sign a power of attorney in an attempt to gain title to at least one vehicle he owned, the plea says. The victim’s father even accompanied Beckman to a car dealer in an unsuccessful attempt to transfer the title, she said. The victim’s parents ultimately paid $27,000 to Beckman, it says.

The victim was picked up by his father and taken to a hospital. Hospital staff called police.

Some of the money was later recovered by investigators from a safe in Beckman’s office, and the victim’s DNA was found on Beckman’s pistol, the plea says. Investigators also found communications about the plot on the conspirators’ cellphones.

U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig repeatedly stopped the proceedings to ask if everything she was reading from the plea agreement was true. Caleb Laubinger repeatedly replied, “Yes ma’am.”