Mother convicted in kidnapping plot gets 60 days in jail

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado woman convicted of plotting to kidnap her son from foster care after her teen daughter said she started associating with supporters of the Qanon conspiracy theory was sentenced Thursday to 60 days in jail and two years of supervised probation.

During her trial in August, Cynthia Abcug, 53, denied she was involved in planning a raid on the foster home where her then 7-year-old son lived in the fall of 2019. She had lost custody of him earlier that year after being accused of medical child abuse — lying about him having seizures and other health problems in order to trick doctors into providing unnecessary care. A jury convicted her of misdemeanor child abuse because of those allegations as well as conspiracy to commit second-degree kidnapping.

Abcug asked District Judge Patricia Herron to sentence her to probation so she could continue getting therapy, working and studying for a law degree.

But Herron said she believes Abcug still sees herself as a victim and could pose a danger again because of that mindset. She said she wanted to sentence Abcug to prison immediately but decided against it during the court hearing after Chief Deputy District Gary Dawson told her that Abcug would be paroled quickly because the kidnapping plot — which was not carried out — was not considered a violent crime. Abcug could also be sent to a halfway house before she became eligible for parole, with less ability to monitor her actions.