A man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to kidnap WWE star Sonya Deville in a shocking incident that took place in August 2020. The verdict was handed down by Judge Barbara Twine-Thomas, who accepted a plea agreement in which Phillip Thomas pleaded guilty to several charges, including attempted kidnapping, aggravated stalking, and armed burglary. As part of his sentence, Thomas will also serve 15 years of probation.
According to prosecutors, Thomas had sent Deville multiple threatening messages on social media before driving from South Carolina to Florida with a knife, zip ties, and duct tape with the intention of kidnapping her. Surveillance footage captured Thomas walking into Deville’s home, where she had activated her alarm system. However, Deville managed to flee the house with the help of fellow WWE star Mandy Rose.
The incident caused Deville to take time off following SummerSlam 2020, during which she lost a loser leaves WWE match against Rose. She eventually returned to the WWE in January 2021, first as an authority figure before eventually returning to wrestling. Recently, she has been teaming up with Chelsea Green.
The sentencing brings a sense of closure to a terrifying incident that left the wrestling world shocked and Deville shaken. The WWE community will no doubt continue to support Deville as she moves forward from this ordeal.
