James Edward Daniels and Frederick Eugene Rudolph, both residents of Miami, were found guilty on December 17 for their involvement in a kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in death. The trial took place before U.S. District Court Judge Roy K. Altman.
The incident occurred on December 5, 2020, when Daniels, Rudolph, and other co-conspirators abducted three individuals from a truck yard in Opa Locka, Florida. After binding and torturing the victims and covering their eyes with duct tape, they placed them in the back of a rented van. Following hours of driving around the city, the perpetrators took the victims to an abandoned house where they attempted to execute them by shooting. Two victims died as a result, while one survived.
Daniels was reported to have stolen jewelry from one of the deceased victims. The defendants received drugs or money for their participation in this criminal act.
Herbert Barr, another individual involved in the crime, pled guilty to kidnapping on November 26.
The announcement of the verdict was made by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida along with Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI's Miami Field Office; Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department; and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA's Miami Field Division.
The case was investigated by several agencies including FBI Miami Division Homestead Resident Agency, Miami-Dade Police Department Homicide Bureau, and DEA Homestead Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yara Dodin, Nardia Haye, and Katie Guthrie are responsible for prosecuting this case.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2025. Daniels and Rudolph could face life imprisonment along with fines up to $250,000 per count and lifetime supervised release.
This investigation was part of efforts by members of South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force aimed at targeting drug-trafficking organizations within the region.
Further information about HIDTA can be found at https://www.dea.gov/operations/hidta while related court documents are available on www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20431.