Four Men Sentenced for Kidnapping and Ransom Scheme Involving New Jersey Resident

Lengthy Prison Terms Handed Down in Cross-State Kidnapping Conspiracy

In a significant federal court ruling today, four New York residents received substantial prison sentences for their roles in a conspiracy to kidnap a man from Fort Lee, New Jersey, and hold him for ransom. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced the sentences, which include terms ranging from 12 to nearly 21 years.

The individuals involved, Fa Deng, 44, of Staten Island, received a 144-month sentence and a $200,000 fine; Chiahao Lee, 32, of Queens, was sentenced to 180 months; Albert Ferrelli, 52, also of Queens, received the longest term of 250 months; and Gabriel Anthony, from Queens, was handed a 168-month sentence. Following their prison terms, Deng, Lee, and Anthony are required to undergo three years of supervised release, while Ferrelli will be under supervision for five years. All four had previously admitted to conspiring to commit interstate kidnapping.

The ordeal began on April 5, 2022, when the group abducted the victim from his Fort Lee home. Two of the conspirators, Anthony and Ferrelli, entered the victim's house wearing masks, restrained him, and transported him in a vehicle driven by Deng and Lee. The kidnappers then communicated with the victim’s wife, sending a distressing photo of the bound and gagged victim and demanding a ransom of approximately $680,000.

Law enforcement swiftly intervened following a tip about the kidnapping. Investigators discovered evidence at the victim's home and used surveillance footage to track the kidnappers' movements across state lines into New York. The breakthrough came when NYPD officers, responding to a location in Queens, heard the victim's cries for help and rescued him.

The successful resolution of this case was the result of collaborative efforts among the FBI, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Fort Lee Police Department, and the NYPD. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark, emphasizing the severity of the crime and the determined response from law enforcement to protect community safety.