Barinuadum Bariyiga, center, stands outside the Forsyth County Courthouse with his defense attorney, AJ Richman, left, and paralegal Stacie Sides after a jury acquitted him of all charges on Thursday, Aug. 27. (Credit: Richman Law Firm )
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. - A Forsyth County jury has acquitted a man of kidnapping and false imprisonment charges after he spent almost a year behind bars awaiting trial for a 2025 incident at a Georgia Mercedes-Benz dealership, according to his attorney.
What we know:
A Forsyth County jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all counts against Barinuadum Bariyiga on Thursday after hearing four days of evidence.
Prosecutors officially dismissed a third charge of obstruction on the day the trial began, according to Bariyiga's attorney Andrew J. "AJ" Richman of Richman Law Firm.
The charges stemmed from a May 2, 2025, incident at RBM of Atlanta. Police previously said Bariyiga asked a 26-year-old service advisor to demonstrate features of a loaner car, then drove off with her inside against her will.
The original police report stated he ignored her requests to return to the dealership between 11:08 a.m. and 11:51 a.m. The victim reported he drove toward North Point Mall, asked inappropriate questions about her personal life, and intentionally missed turns on the way back.
He was arrested at the dealership later that day after a brief struggle with deputies and remained in custody for much of the time leading up to his trial.
What they're saying:
Richman praised the jury's verdict following the trial.
"Do not judge anyone until you can hear all the facts," Richman said in a statement. "Thank God this country has the right to a trial by jury. My client spent almost a year behind bars, only to be acquitted."
What we don't know:
Evidence and testimony presented by the defense during the four-day trial that led to the not-guilty verdict were not released.
The Source: Information in this story came from a press release issued by the Richman Law Firm on behalf of Barinuadum Bariyiga, as well as previous FOX 5 reports.