Guilty as part of plea deal
Hykeem Rasmeen Sessoms, 39, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, will spend 12 years minimum in state prison for the violent kidnapping of an 84-year-old Wind Creek Bethlehem casino goer.
consecutive terms of six to 12 years each
Sessoms pleaded guilty to counts of kidnapping and robbery as part of a plea deal, District Attorney Terry Houck’s office announced on January 27. Judge Samuel Murray sentenced Sessoms to consecutive terms of six to 12 years each. Sessoms must also pay $91.02 in restitution to the victim for her medical treatment.
According to the prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Julianne Danchak, members of the victim’s family attended Northampton County Court for the plea and sentencing.
Man preyed on elderly slot machine winner
On December 11, 2019, Sessoms abducted an 84-year-old woman from Wind Creek Bethlehem casino after watching her win money on a slot machine. Saying he had a gun and threatening to kill, Sessoms kicked the woman into her car, which he made her drive away from the casino. According to reports, he then hit the victim while demanding money, grabbed seven $1 bills from her purse, and ran off.
The woman’s 911 call triggered a police search for Sessoms, which involved locking down nearby schools Liberty High and St Anne. Police found the fleeing kidnapper and promptly arrested him. Paramedics, meanwhile, transported the woman to St Luke’s Hospital-Anderson campus, where medical staff treated her for a minor leg injury.
During a police interview on the day of his arrest, Sessoms told officers he had not been at the Bethlehem casino. Despite admitting later that he was at the site, just not in the third-floor garage, casino footage released to the police showed Sessoms in the garage where the kidnapping took place.
DA’s office issues strong warning
Sessoms reportedly apologized for his actions, citing substance abuse issues. The assistant DA, however, didn’t pull any punches, issuing a stark warning to anyone thinking about preying upon elderly Keystone State citizens.
We will stop at nothing to protect our vulnerable populations.”
“Let this serve as an example of the swift and immense consequences you will face as a result […] We will stop at nothing to protect our vulnerable populations,” Danchak said.