A Missouri man will face kidnapping charges in Sussex County Superior Court.
According to officials, the suspect and another man first devised the plan to kidnap a money broker from Mahwah, New Jersey.
The suspects allegedly came up with the kidnapping plot because one of the kidnappers lost $500,000 due to a failed business deal. The intended victim and one of the suspects had been involved in the development of a golf course in Utah. When the deal went sour, one of the suspects decided to hire several people to kidnap the other business partner.
The suspects are accused of abducting the victim outside of J&G Pet Foods, a pet shop located in Newton, New Jersey. According to the law enforcement, the suspects used a stun gun to knock out the victim. The suspect then allegedly threw the victim into a car trunk and drove away. However, the suspects reportedly snatched the wrong person.
The suspects reportedly drove the wrong kidnapping victim for 1,200 miles, until the car broke down in Missouri. At that point, the victim was able to free himself from the trunk. The suspects chased after the victim while he ran away, prompting a nearby store clerk to call local law enforcement.
Local police soon showed up at the scene and placed the suspects under arrest.
One suspect has already pleaded guilty to kidnapping charges. As a result of his plea deal, he was sentenced to 18 years in New Jersey State Prison.
Now another suspect in the case is due to stand trial. Although jury selection already started, opening arguments are not expected until April 2015. The trial will probably last a long time because prosecutors and defense attorneys expect to call more than 100 witnesses, including several out-of-state witnesses.
Although prosecutors initially offered the suspect a plea deal, he rejected it. The plea offer called for the suspect to serve 20 years in NJ State Prison. The suspect now faces a potential life sentence if he is ultimately convicted at trial.
For further information about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Trial to Begin for Missouri Man Accused of Kidnapping Wrong N.J. Businessman.”