Felon Arrested For Letterman Kidnap Plot

MARCH 17--A convicted felon who worked as a painter at David Letterman's Montana ranch has been arrested for allegedly plotting to kidnap the late night host's young son and the child's nanny. According to police, Kelly Frank, 43, believed that he could extract a $5 million ransom payment from Letterman by holding the 16-month-old child for 48 hours. Law enforcement authorities were alerted to Frank's scheme on March 13, when a Frank acquaintance, Robert Gondeiro, told them that Frank had spoken to him about the kidnap plot and asked him to 'think about it." When confronted by FBI agents, Frank 'admitted approaching Gondeiro with the idea of kidnapping the child." He also stated that he was aware when Letterman and his son, Harry Joseph, would arrive at their Choteau home and when they planned to leave, according to the below Teton County Justice Court filings. Additionally, Frank told the FBI that he had a key to Letterman's house, knew where the boy's crib was located, and had taken photographs of the buildings on the performer's sprawling ranch. Frank, pictured above in a Montana Department of Corrections mug shot, has been charged with a felony count of solicitation to kidnap. He was also hit with a felony theft rap for overcharging Letterman for work on the 2700-acre property and a misdemeanor count for initially lying to an FBI agent. Frank, who is already on probation for a felony intimidation conviction, is being held in a Teton County lockup in lieu of bail totaling $650,000. (5 pages)