Kansas City man, 2 others sentenced for funding kidnappings, bomb plots in Cameroon

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to support killings, kidnappings, and bomb plots in Cameroon, federal prosecutors say.

Claude N. Chi, 43, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to use weapons of mass destruction abroad. His co-conspirators, Francis Chenyi of Minnesota and Lah Nestor Langmi of New York, were each sentenced to 180 months, according to officials.

The three defendants are U.S. citizens of Cameroon origin, according to federal prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors say the three men ran a highly organized support network from the United States to fund separatist fighters.

Court documents show that Langmi sent an audio message to fighters in Cameroon asking them to kidnap a local traditional leader. During the ambush, fighters captured both the leader and Cardinal Christian Tumi, a well-known Catholic leader traveling with him.

Once they were captured, Chenyi sent the fighters a list of questions to ask the captives. Chenyi then used online cash apps to send money to the kidnappers.

Chenyi also helped handle ransom payments from families living outside of Cameroon who were trying to free their kidnapped relatives.

Langmi and others also regularly asked Chenyi for money to buy parts for homemade bombs. Chenyi approved the requests, sent the money, and even helped arrange bomb-making training for the fighters on the ground.

The group also used violence to disrupt local events in Cameroon.

In December 2020, Chenyi and Chi sent money from the U.S. to buy bombs. Those bombs were used to force a violent lockdown before a local election.

Langmi also worked to develop rocket-propelled grenades and tried to plan attacks near the 2021 African Cup of Nations soccer tournament.