Haiti gang leader Joly Germine sentencing.

A man alleged to be the founder and leader of a Haitian gang has been sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the kidnapping of 17 people, including five children, who were on a missionary trip to the Caribbean country. Joly Germine declined to say anything before U.S. District Judge John Bates in Washington, D.C., sentenced him Wednesday. Some of the kidnapping victims chose to speak in court, telling Germine that they forgive him for his role in their ordeal. The victims — 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian citizen — were kidnapped by gang members near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Oct. 16, 2021. Most of them were held at gunpoint for 62 days before they escaped.