East Lansing man gets life in prison for kidnapping Italian teen

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A federal judge has sentenced an East Lansing man to life in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an Italian teenager .

Arisknight Arkin-Everett Winfree’s charges included kidnapping, coercing and enticing someone to travel for the purposes of illegal sexual activity, attempted coercion and enticement, and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

“Arisknight Winfree is a sexual predator whose horrendous acts caused immeasurable harm to the women and girls upon whom he preyed,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “This life sentence is necessary to protect the community and bring a measure of justice to the survivors.”

Winfree posted a false advertisement for an a u pair and arranged for a teenager to travel from Italy to East Lansing to work for him.

Once she arrived in East Lansing, he allegedly proceeded to keep her captive and sexually assaulted her.

Winfree also used his fake au pair advertisement to lure another teenager from Kansas to his home. When her family became suspicious of Winfree, they contacted the police, who then responded and removed her from Winfree’s house.

“The sentencing of Arisknight Winfree marks a significant step towards healing for all those who suffered from his callous and heinous criminal acts,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan, said in a release. “Individuals who engage in sexual exploitation involving minors will be investigated and arrested by the FBI and our law enforcement partners in Michigan. The collective investigative efforts by members from FBI Michigan, the East Lansing Police Department, and the prosecutorial efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office of Western Michigan prevented another crime from being committed by Mr. Winfree.”

“The East Lansing Police Department would like to thank the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their commitment to this case,” ELPD Police Chief Chad Pride said in a release. “Arisknight Winfree’s conviction on multiple charges shows our collaborative partnerships were essential in bringing justice to the survivors of these awful acts and holding Arisknight accountable for his actions.”

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