Dominican National Abducted Two in NJ, Transported Victims to MA for Ransom

Joel Ramon Garcia admitted to abducting two victims at gunpoint in New Jersey and transporting them to Massachusetts for ransom.

A Dominican Republic citizen has pleaded guilty to federal kidnapping charges in connection with the armed abduction of two individuals in Paterson, New Jersey, in November 2023, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Joel Ramon Garcia, 33, entered his guilty plea on September 9, 2025, before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court. He pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with one count of kidnapping. Sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2026.

According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, on or about November 15, 2023, Garcia and another unnamed accomplice forcibly abducted two victims at gunpoint in Paterson. The assailants then transported the victims to Massachusetts, where they were held for ransom.

Shortly after the kidnapping, the suspects contacted the father of one of the victims and issued a violent threat, stating that the victim's fingers would be cut off if ransom demands were not met. The victims were released on or about November 17, 2023.

The charge of kidnapping carries a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Jersey field office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.