A man has been sentenced to life in prison on an aggravated robbery charge in the 2018 Houston-area abduction that ended with an FBI agent fatally shooting the hostage during a rescue attempt.
The Houston Chronicle reports that Nicholas Chase Cunningham was sentenced Tuesday. A kidnapping charge was dropped as part of a plea deal.
Cunningham was among four people charged. Two people abducted Ulises Valladares from his home in suburban Conroe on Jan. 24, 2018, and demanded money that a relative allegedly owed. Authorities have said the FBI was trying to rescue Valladares when an agent shot him.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo in October said his investigators believe the agent’s explanation was “not supported” by evidence. FBI spokeswoman Christina Garza said Thursday that federal prosecutors are still investigating.
