A $20 debt will land a man behind bars after he was convicted of forcing the debtor into a car outside Walmart and then beating him up.
The man, Hollis Fisk Jr., 29, was convicted by a jury on charges of false imprisonment and assault. He will face sentencing April 8.
Fisk was able to sidestep a conviction on his original charge of kidnapping, a count that could have cost him eight to 12 years in prison. His convicted charge of false imprisonment is a misdemeanor, as is the charge of assault, meaning his maximum jail time on each count is 11 months, 29 days.
The victim told jurors during trial he was indebted to Fisk and another man, Brandon K. Bradley, owing one of them $20. Bradley committed suicide after the encounter, leaving Fisk to face charges by himself.
Prosecutors presented evidence that the victim realized while he was inside Walmart the men were waiting outside to accost him. He tried to flee through the lawn and garden area but found the door locked. That left him with having to leave through the front door.
The prosecution was helped by video footage that showed the victim trying to escape through the lawn and garden area and then linger inside the store, hoping the men would leave.
At some point the victim gave up and stepped outside the store where video shows him being confronted by two men. It then shows him getting into a car which pulled away from the store. The victim said he was beaten while in the car but was able to get away by diving out of the moving vehicle.