PLANTATION, FL – A trio of men, two of whom are brothers, are facing federal charges for kidnapping, waterboarding, and torturing a man in Florida, even after realizing they had the wrong person, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday.
The victim was confronted in his apartment’s parking garage on the morning of October 13 by Jeffry Arista, Jonathan Arista, and Raymond Gomez. The three men, armed with a gun, forced him into a black car fitted with police lights, the complaint detailed.
The court documents further disclosed that Jeffry Arista questioned the victim’s identity, hinting they had abducted the wrong person. This was confirmed when they examined the victim’s ID in his wallet. The kidnappers then interrogated the victim about a coworker’s use of his car and demanded to know the whereabouts of some money, which the coworker allegedly owed them.
The complaint elaborated on the victim’s terrifying experience, stating that the kidnappers threatened him with an electric drill and guns. The man was transported to an Airbnb apartment where he was subjected to waterboarding in the bathroom.
When they realized their error, the kidnappers allegedly hatched a plan to draw the intended target to them, coercing the victim to make a call and set up a meeting with the correct individual. In a bid to alert the police, the victim entered his coworker’s business the next day and claimed he had a bomb. Upon the arrival of law enforcement, the victim identified one of the kidnappers who was filming him from afar.
The investigation culminated in the arrest of Gomez, who allegedly admitted to kidnapping the wrong person. Jeffry and Jonathan Arista made their initial court appearances on kidnapping charges on Monday, while Gomez is yet to appear in court. The defense attorneys have not responded to requests for comment.