Daniel Lopez, Kidnapping, Washington 2024

Federal Way Man Sentenced for Kidnapping

A 25-year-old Federal Way man has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for using a firearm in a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.

Daniel Lopez was indicted by the grand jury on November 6, 2024, for the October 13, 2024, kidnapping of the spouse of someone who had cheated him in a drug deal. The Auburn, Washington woman was abducted at gunpoint from her home and ultimately was found safe in Guatemala.

At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said, the sentence was merited because of “the defendant’s use of a firearm in a violent kidnapping . . . and the violent nature of the charged conduct.”

“This defendant has a lengthy and serious criminal history with many of the offenses involving firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Mr. Lopez has been involved in street gangs since his mid-teens and has committed several violent offenses including robbery, drive-by shooting and illegal possession of guns and drugs. This 8-year prison sentence is focused on protecting the community.”

According to records filed in the case, the kidnapping was retribution for a drug deal gone bad. The woman’s husband and a second victim who was also kidnapped, had taken $2500 from Lopez for cocaine, but the cocaine was never delivered. The female victim’s husband reported her missing on October 14, 2024, after arriving home and finding her belongings at their apartment.

The investigation revealed that the victims were held in the Seattle area for two days before being transported to the southern border with Mexico. Lopez had associates drive the woman and the other victim to the border and forced them to walk across. The two were identified by immigration authorities in Mexico and were transported to Guatemala. Neither had legal status in the U.S., and so have been barred from returning to their lives in the U.S.

Lopez was ultimately traced to Houston, Texas and was arrested on October 19, 2024, at a hotel. He has remained in custody since his arrest.

The case was investigated by the Auburn Police Department and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.

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