NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Three New Jersey residents were indicted on Thursday for allegedly kidnapping and torturing a victim from Queens in 2022, according to prosecutors.
The indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn and charged Aasim Boone, 41, Jarrett Bruce, 40 and Lesly Valentin, 38, with kidnapping conspiracy and additionally Valentin with transmission of interstate communications with intent to extort.
Boone, Bruch and Valentine allegedly on Dec. 9, 2022, kidnapped a man at gunpoint and forced him into a red Chrysler Pacifica in Astoria, according to the indictment.
The kidnappers allegedly drove him to New Jersey and stopped at multiple locations for nearly five hours. The victim, during this time, was beaten, according to court documents.
The defendants also allegedly sliced the victim's ear with a knife and "applied a blowtorch to his back and removed him from the vehicle to pour bleach all over his burned body."
After the victim promised to pay the suspects to secure his release, they dropped him off in Manhattan on Dec. 10, 2022.
Two days later, Valentin allegedly sent the victim text messages, threatening to harm him and his family if he didn't pay the defendants $150,000 in cash and 50 pounds of cannabis. Valentin allegedly asked the victim if he was ready to, "finish this," adding, "Remember how spicy s*** gets!"
"As alleged, the crimes in this case are very disturbing," Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said, "The defendants targeted an unsuspecting victim, abducted him outside of his home and subjected him to unimaginable cruelty—all in their efforts for financial gain."
