A Tuscaloosa man has been arraigned in federal court on a kidnapping charge, according to a July 16 announcement from U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. Randall Latroy Richardson, 42, faces one count of kidnapping stemming from an alleged incident that occurred in the early morning hours of December 24, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Richardson was apprehended and arrested by sunrise.
“The people of Tuscaloosa County and the Northern District of Alabama should be proud of their local law enforcement officers quickly apprehending the defendant following this incident,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. “We now look forward to prosecuting the defendant federally for kidnapping as alleged in the indictment.”
David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge for FBI Birmingham, said, “Thanks to the swift, collaborative efforts of our agents and our law enforcement partners, we were able to remove this dangerous fugitive from our community. We will continue working together to keep our communities safe and to strengthen the trust with Alabamians.”
Tuscaloosa Police Chief Michael Baygents said, “We’re grateful this case is being prosecuted federally. Our officers, the Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office each played an important role in bringing it to this point, and we’ll continue working together as the case moves through the federal court system.” The maximum penalty for kidnapping is life imprisonment.
The FBI investigated alongside the Tuscaloosa Police Department and Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Cross and Brittany T. Byrd are prosecuting.
The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama serves more than 2.8 million people across 31 counties including Birmingham and Huntsville; it prosecutes federal crimes such as kidnapping cases like this one while also defending civil cases involving the United States government, according to its official website. An indictment contains only charges; a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.