LA Father Gets Maximum Term In International Kidnapping Case

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Federal judge Tuesday handed down the maximum sentence to one of two brothers who kidnapped their sons and took them out of the country without consent from their ex-wives.

George Silah was sentenced to 27-months in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of international parental kidnapping. He was extradited from the Netherlands last October after being discovered by the LAPD and FBI in November of 2010.

In August, his brother John who has also pleaded guilty to kidnapping his son will be formally sentenced.

In July 2008, the Silah brothers divorced from their wives. Neither one was happy with the custody arrangement and both took their sons during a scheduled visitation and fled the country.

During his two-year absence, George Silah's son, Alex, told the judge he had many opportunities to call his mother but chose not to. In open court, he said, "I'm the luckiest boy in the world. You are a perfect father. You are my hero. I want to be just like you."

"I love both my father and my mother very much. I'm not taking any sides," the 16-year-old added outside the courtroom. "My father took very good care of us at the time we were gone."

His father told the judge, "My action was wrong. I ask for forgiveness from my wife, from the court, but most of all from my sons."