A Connecticut jury has found 24-year-old Addison Clegg of Meriden guilty on multiple serious charges stemming from a violent January 2026 incident tied to a Facebook Marketplace sneaker transaction.
Clegg was convicted of Kidnapping in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, Strangulation in the First Degree, Stealing a Firearm, and Criminal Possession of a Firearm.
According to prosecutors, Clegg arranged to meet the victim under the pretense of purchasing sneakers. During the meetup, he strangled the victim until they lost consciousness. While the victim was incapacitated, an accomplice stole the victim’s legally owned 9mm handgun and vehicle.
The suspects then fled the scene with the unconscious victim still inside the car.
In a harrowing turn, the victim regained consciousness while the vehicle was in motion and managed to escape—jumping from the moving car. The escape resulted in multiple serious injuries, including a broken foot.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney David Clifton and Inspector General Apicella, who prosecuted the case, emphasized the victim’s bravery in a statement:
“The victim’s courage cannot be understated. But for his quick thinking under terrifying conditions, allowing him to escape from his abductors, who knows how this violent encounter would have ended?”
Clegg was sentenced on March 25.
