Kidnapping Charge Dropped Against Boyfriend In Lilly Baumann Case

A kidnapping charge involving the case of an unhinged Broward mother who defied a court order and stole 2-year-old Lilly Baumann away from her father has been dropped.

Last week, New Times reported that the Broward State Attorney's Office had decided not to go forward with a kidnapping charge aimed at Megan Everett, Lilly's mom — despite the fact that the young woman spent more than a year underground with Lilly. Now it appears Megan's boyfriend and coconspirator, Carlos Lesters, will also duck a felony kidnapping charge, although both Everett and Lesters face other criminal charges.  

Lesters was arrested only days after law enforcement in North Florida discovered Everett and Lilly following a national broadcast of a CNN show about the case. Lesters — a YouTube provocateur who used the internet platform to broadcast his right-wing, anti-Obama, pro-Confederacy worldview — was long suspected by Lilly's father, Robert, and Everett's family as having a hand in the disappearance. Once Everett began a relationship with Lesters, she began parroting his antigovernment screeds. When she bolted with Lilly, she left behind a note claiming she didn't want to let a judge decide whether her daughter would be vaccinated. After the kidnapping, Lesters claimed he had no knowledge of the whereabouts of mother and daughter — a lie, according to authorities now. 

After she was discovered last month, Everett was charged with felony kidnapping, interference with custody, and removal of a minor against a court order. The kidnapping charge was dropped: Under Florida law, there's no precedent for a kidnapping charge against a parent, according to the Broward State Attorney's Office.

Now, it appears that the charge against Lesters (who is not related to Lilly) has also been dropped, according to the Broward Court Clerk's website. 

We've reached out to the state attorney for comment on the dropped kidnapping charge (see below). Lesters is facing the additional two criminal charges: interference with custody and remove/conceal a minor. He'll be arraigned on September 9. It also appears Lesters has bonded out before his court appearance. Check back to New Times for more updates on the unfolding case. 

UPDATE: An explanation from state attorney spokesperson Kim Fontana: 

Carlos Lesters assisted Megan Everett and is, therefore, a principal in what she did. Since we dropped the kidnapping charge against Everett for the reason we gave you previously, the kidnapping charge against Lesters was also dropped. The appropriate charges of Interference with Custody and Removing Minor from state were filed against Lesters as well.

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