United States v. Jeffrey David Howard, Ricky Leroy Stanley, Derrick Smith, Samuel J. Cooper, Jr.

BIRCH, Circuit Judge:

This appeal involves interpretation of the federal kidnapping statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1201. Appellants Jeffrey D. Howard, Ricky L. Stanley, Samuel J. Cooper and Derrick Smith each attack the sufficiency of the evidence supporting their convictions for conspiracy to kidnap and attempted kidnapping. The appellants also claim that the district court erred by failing to instruct the jury on the nature of the confinement necessary to support a kidnapping conviction, and by failing to grant appellants’ motions to compel election and/or consolidation of the charges contained in an…