Grimy Times Exclusive:
Nydia L. Perez and John A. Soto, a married couple from Haymarket, Virginia, have pleaded guilty to making false statements to law enforcement officials in a brazen kidnapping hoax.
The DEA employee and her husband, a contractor in the United States Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, concocted a plot to kidnap minors who are United States citizens in December 2013.
According to court filings, the couple sent information about a purported threat to the safety of minor United States citizens in Bogotá, including detailed descriptions of the targeted individuals, their whereabouts, and daily routines.
The couple even included photographs of the citizens to enhance the seriousness of the threat and attempted to implicate innocent individuals in the kidnapping plot.
As part of their plea agreement, Perez and Soto admitted to making numerous false representations to law enforcement and security officials in furtherance of the fabricated kidnapping plot.
Nydia L. Perez and John A. Soto, both 44, will be sentenced on August 21, 2014 before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman-Jackson.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Embassy Bogota Regional Security Office, the U.S. Embassy Bogota Force Protection Detail, and the Colombia National Police Directorate of Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Extortion.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Justin Weitz of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.
Defendant Name: Nydia L. Perez and John A. Soto, both 44, of Haymarket, Virginia
Criminal Charges: One count of making false statements to law enforcement officials
City and State: Haymarket, Virginia
Exact Date: December 2013 (crime date)
Sentence or Outcome: Sentencing scheduled for August 21, 2014
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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