Virginia Dad Sentenced for International Kidnapping of Daughter

Virginia Dad Sentenced for International Kidnapping of Daughter

In a grim turn of events, Philip Zodhiates, 61, of Waynesboro, Virginia, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison for international parental kidnapping and conspiracy to commit the same. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

The case dates back to 2009 when Zodhiates conspired with Lisa Miller to abduct Miller’s seven-year-old daughter from Virginia, with plans to take her to Nicaragua. The duo traveled to the Buffalo area and crossed into Canada via the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry before flying to Nicaragua. Evidence suggests that Miller was sheltered there by individuals recruited by Zodhiates.

Miller and the child have not been seen since, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Prosecutors alleged that the kidnapping was an attempt to evade the parental rights of Miller’s former partner from a civil union in Vermont, where both parents had equal rights over the child born during the union.

Lisa Miller is currently charged with the same offenses as Zodhiates but remains a fugitive. Another defendant, Timothy Miller (no relation), was recently arrested after deportation from Nicaragua and will face charges in the Western District of New York. Kenneth Miller, also not related, was convicted of international parental kidnapping in Vermont in 2012 and is currently serving a 27-month sentence.

The investigation was spearheaded by the Vermont Office of the United States Marshal’s Service under David Damag and the Vermont Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Andrew Vale, Special Agent-in-Charge.

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