Trio accused of kidnapping wrong victim, terrorizing them at Broward Airbnb
MIAMI -- Three men, two of them brothers, are facing federal charges in connection with the mistaken armed abduction of a victim who was terrorized at a Broward Airbnb last week, authorities said.
Jeffry Arista, 32, and Jonathan Arista, 29, appeared in federal court Tuesday in connection with federal kidnapping charges, according to a written statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The court appearance for the third suspect, identified as Raymond Gomez, 33. was pending, as of Tuesday.
The three suspects are facing charges that include kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap. If convicted, the suspects could each face a sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Federal prosecutors said the three men allegedly kidnapped the victim, who was not identified, on Oct. 13 while the person was outside their apartment. The trio realized later that they had abducted the wrong person.
According to authorities, the three suspects traveled to an Airbnb in Plantation where they allegedly waterboarded the victim and also used guns, tasers and an electric drill to threaten their subject instead of releasing the victim.
The three men then forced the victim to go to a Pompano Beach business where their intended target was in order to lure that person out but the victim called police instead.
Prosecutors did not say why the trio wanted to threaten the man whom they were targeting.
