A Venezuelan national named Deivy Jose Rodriguez Delgado, 30, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for the 2022 armed hostage-taking of three United States citizens in the Dominican Republic, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia.
Delgado has been sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to serve a prison term and five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Delgado will also face deportation proceedings, as ruled by the court.
According to the department, Rodriguez Delgado, also known as “Sebastian,” kidnapped three males in different events between July 5 and July 30, 2022.
Delgado allegedly recruited his victims through internet contacts, promising a casual “date,” before picking them up in his car.
After a brief drive, Delgado allegedly stopped the car to allow an accomplice to enter the backseat. Following this, Delgado and the accomplice detained the victim at knifepoint, restrained him, and demanded a ransom for his release.
The department stated that Delgado directed that the ransom payments be paid to online banking accounts, including the CashApp account utilized in each case.
Each victim reportedly faced threats to contact friends or family and request ransom money for their release.
Delgado and his accomplice, believing they had paid the ransom, detained the victims for up to an hour before releasing them, according to the department.
According to the agency, the victims were also robbed of their personal things before being released onto the streets of the Dominican Republic.
The agency reported that, after receiving many victim accounts, Dominican officials initiated an investigation in August 2022, eventually tracing a vehicle involved in one of the hostage instances back to Delgado, who was arrested on September 14, 2022.
During a search, investigators reportedly uncovered two serrated knives similar to those used in the incidents.
The agency confirmed that Dominican officials delivered Delgado into US custody on October 4, 2022.