A businessman who was kidnapped during a home invasion has been released after paying a hefty ransom.
Elton B. Stephens Jr. was kidnapped at around 7am on September 11 from a rental home in Birmingham, Alabama.
Police said two suspects broke into the man's house while he was asleep - around 2am.
Matthew Amos Burke, 34, and Tabatha Nicole Hodges, 33, have been charged with burglary, kidnapping an adult for ransom, extortion and theft of property, Alabama Local News reports.
The pair had allegedly stolen three of Stephens’ guns, including a shotgun, and told him they’d kill him if he called for help, according to the New York Post.
The suspects are accused of taking the businessman to a trailer in St. Clair County, where they allegedly forced him to wire $250,000 (£194,000) into their account before returning him back home later that day, according to the report.
They then returned him to his home at about 4.30pm - after which, police were called.
“Elton Stephens Jr. was kidnapped in a home invasion last Friday,” his attorney, Tommy Spina, told the outlet in a statement.
“We are thankful and grateful for the hard work of the Birmingham Police Department, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Secret Service and the US Attorney’s office for their hard work in investigating this horrid life experience for Mr. Stephens.”
There were also two children with the alleged kidnappers, aged 14 and 11, but the victim said he did not know any of them.
Stephens is retired from EBSCO Industries, which his father founded.
Forbes magazine in 2014 ranked the Stephens family as the 66th wealthiest family in America.
