Utah Father Charged in the District of Utah for International Parental Kidnapping After Fleeing to Mexico with Children

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a Utah County man with international parental kidnapping after he fled to Mexico with his two small children without the mother's knowledge or court approval.

Dane Stephen Richman, 46, of Saratoga Springs, Utah, is in federal custody in San Diego, California, where he will appear in federal court before he is extradited to Utah for his initial appearance on the indictment.

According to court documents, on May 23, 2026, Richman failed to return his two minor children to their mother at an agreed upon exchange location after their scheduled visit in accordance with the Fourth District, Utah County, State Court Order. The state court had ordered temporary joint custody with specific exchange dates of the children every other weekend. After the children were not returned, officers were called to Richman's home for a wellness check and discovered the home was empty and all the property was missing. Richman quit his job, abandoned his home in Saratoga Springs, and cleaned out his bank accounts.

According to court documents, Richman contacted the minor children's mother, who lives out of state in Washington, and falsely stated he and the children had gone camping in California, when in fact Richman took the children to Southern California and crossed the border. When the exchange of the children date and time lapsed, a state warrant was issued for Richman's arrest. FBI joined the search for the two children and worked with Mexican authorities and located Richman and the children in San Felipe, Mexico. Richman was arrested by Mexican authorities, and they took custody of the children. Mexican authorities transferred the children and Richman into the custody of the U.S. authorities. The children were reunited with their mother, and the Utah State Court granted her temporary sole custody of the minor children.

"We are profoundly grateful that these children have been safely returned home," said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. "This outcome is the result of swift coordination between our local and federal law enforcement partners and the Mexican authorities. These dedicated professionals acted with the utmost urgency and care to ensure the children's safe return."

"The safe recovery of the children was our highest priority," said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. "The successful outcome of this case reflects the reach and effectiveness of our partnerships, and our shared commitment to protecting children and supporting families."

The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and valuable assistance was provided by the San Felipe Police Department in Mexico, and the Saratoga Springs Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Carlos Esqueda for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.