Man sentenced to 21 months in prison for stealing Maplewood family's dog

MAPLEWOOD, Minn. — A St. Paul man was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for stealing a Maplewood family's dog from their porch and holding it ransom.

Christopher Brigham, 24, stole a 3-year-old French bulldog named Pablo on May 9. In October, he pleaded guilty to theft for the incident.

READ MORE: Maplewood family holding out hope stolen dog will be returned

Surveillance video captured the theft, showing a woman, later identified as 34-year-old Chanessa Gipson, walking up the front steps and knocking on the front door before taking the dog.

The family thought Pablo would eventually show up in a pound or on social media, but when he didn't, they took to the streets.

Two days later, charging documents say that a man, later identified as Brigham, contacted Pablo's owner on Facebook. He said he had her dog and would not return it unless she paid him $500.

When she asked to meet to exchange the dog for money, Brigham stopped replying.

Pablo's owner later received a call telling her that Brigham had stolen Pablo and that he and a woman scout out dogs who look lost and sell them for profit or sell them back to the owners for a reward or finder's fee.

Investigators were able to contact Brigham and warned him if he did not return the dog that same day, he would face criminal charges.

Brigham was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison. He is currently serving a 36-month sentence for an unrelated gun charge. He will serve his sentences concurrently.

Note: The video above originally aired on May 19, 2023.