Luling man found guilty of kidnapping his sister, gets 40 year prison sentence

A Luling man was found guilty of kidnapping his sister and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Chester Barber, 62, was sentenced to the maximum jail time provided by law on Monday (Feb. 25).

Barber, who has a lengthy criminal history, was found guilty of second degree kidnapping and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle by a St. Charles Parish jury on Nov. 13, 2018.

Judge M. Lauren Lemmon sentenced Barber to 40 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections on the second degree kidnapping charge and two years on the unauthorized use charge. Barber will have to serve 85 percent of the 40 year sentence prior to becoming eligible for early release because second degree kidnapping is a crime of violence.

The sentences were ordered to run consecutive to each other. Assistant District Attorney Rochelle Champagne Fahrig prosecuted the case against Barber.

Barber was arrested on Oct. 12, 2017 after the victim, his sister, was found bound, gagged and locked inside of her home with a padlock on the only functioning exterior door.

“The sentence imposed in this case is most appropriate in light of the facts and the defendant’s history,” said District Attorney Joel T. Chaisson, II. “The prosecution, guilty verdict and sentence will assure that this dangerous criminal will never be able to perpetrate another crime in St. Charles Parish.”