Former executive claims Bill Koch held him captive at Colorado ranch

A former executive of Oxbow Carbon has accused company founder and chief executive William "Bill" Koch of kidnapping and holding him captive at Koch's Bear Ranch in Gunnison County. Kirby Martensen, formerly senior vice president-Asia with Oxbow Carbon and Minerals International, sued Koch and others in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Thursday. Martensen said Koch invited him in March to the 420-acre ranch, where the billionaire has built a faux Old West town with 50 buildings. While there, Martensen was questioned about allegations that he and other employees had engaged in theft, fraud and self-dealing, he claims. He was taken for a drive and served termination papers and a lawsuit, Martensen said. He was placed in a cabin and "imprisoned" and held in "captivity" for three hours.Martensen asked to be driven to Aspen for his scheduled flight back to California but was instead "kidnapped and kept captive," while being driven to a small airport near Denver, he alleges...more