Bryan Conley was sentenced to federal prison on Monday for his involvement in a scheme where he used fake online profiles to lure victims. This deceptive activity occurred between 2018 and 2019.
The investigation into the first case was initiated in November 2018.
Court documents state Bryan Conley, 42, constructed a phony online dating profile under the name “Bryant” in order to entice a child from Ohio by offering money and property in exchange for sexual actions. The minor met Conley in Tennessee. Conley’s deeds with the juvenile occurred in Tennessee and Kentucky before he brought her to Texas, where he stole her handbag and phone and abandoned her.
Conley resumed his deceit in January 2019, creating an online profile and falsely claiming to be a modeling agency under the name “Lance Debeers.” He engaged in modeling-related chats with his victims.
Authorities say Conley met the woman in Shepherdsville and stole her phone before giving her an unknown chemical as part of the modeling contract, according to records.
He then shackled the victim and drove across Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, demanding $20,000 in ransom from the woman’s relatives in Tennessee.
The FBI claims that Conley threatened to harm the victim if his physical and sexual demands were not satisfied.
Prior to negotiating a $400 ransom and jewelry with Conley, the FBI pretended to be the woman’s family. In Oak Grove, Kentucky, they put it in a McDonald’s bag.
Shortly after retrieving the ransom, Conley faced arrest. He found the woman in his car’s safe.
Months after his arrest, authorities released Conley from custody and sent him to home incarceration.
Investigators believe he removed the device and escaped to Ohio. A federal jury convicted Conley in December 2023 after his arrest.
“The victims in this case never imagined that using an online dating service would expose them to the type of heinous actions that this defendant inflicted on them,” Special Agent in Charge Michael Stansbury said. “Today’s sentence affirms the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting our community from acts of violence and intimidation and is an important reminder to remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid predators, like this defendant, who wish to harm us all.”
In addition to his 35-year jail term, Conley will serve 25 years of supervised release. The court also found him guilty of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate threats to ransom.
