Man Who Kidnapped Passaic Co. Bodega Worker For Ransom Gets 15 Years In Prison

PATERSON, NJ — A Bronx man who kidnapped a Paterson bodega employee for ransom was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison. Maurice Cottman faced life in prison for kidnapping, but he pleaded guilty to the crime Sept. 15 and admitted to his role in the incident.

Cottman and his co-conspirator, Reginald Law, entered a Paterson bodega Oct. 8, 2020, and assaulted an employee, according to court documents. The pair dragged the victim from the store, threw him into the back of a U-Haul truck and drove to New York, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Law and Cottman pistol-whipped the victim, according to authorities. Later that morning, Cottman called the man's family and demanded as much as $200,000 for his return.

Police saw the U-Haul in Harlem, New York, later that afternoon. When they approached, Cottman and Law fled, according to court documents. When the U-Haul crashed, they fled on foot, Sellinger said.

Officers apprehended Cottman and found the victim in the back of the U-Haul. Law was arrested May 26.

In addition to prison, U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler also sentenced Cottman to five years of supervised release.

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