Out-of-Town Attorney Lured, Beaten and Abandoned Across State Lines in Brazen NYC Kidnapping

A Night Out Turned Violent Ordeal

Three men have been charged in connection with the violent kidnapping and robbery of an out-of-town attorney who was lured into a vehicle outside a Midtown Manhattan strip club, beaten, robbed, and abandoned in New Jersey, federal prosecutors say. The case, made public on September 22, 2026, reads like something out of a crime thriller — but the injuries were all too real, and the alleged scheme was anything but spontaneous.

According to court documents, the victim had met one of the defendants and another man earlier that night at the Moxy hotel in Times Square, where he was having dinner and drinks. The group later took a taxi to Rick's Cabaret on West 33rd Street around 12:30 a.m., where the victim went into a VIP room with a dancer, separating from the group. He left the club visibly intoxicated at roughly 3:56 a.m. That's when prosecutors say the trap was sprung.

The Alleged Scheme: A Fake Ride, A Real Nightmare

As part of the scheme, the defendants lured the victim from outside the club into a car under the false pretense that they would give him a ride to his hotel. After he entered the car, the defendants restrained him and transported him from Manhattan, through the Lincoln Tunnel, and into New Jersey. During the ride, the defendants demanded his Rolex watch, iPhone, and phone password while striking him with their hands and a sharp object.

He was abandoned in West Orange, New Jersey. A passing cyclist found him around 5:30 a.m. and called police, with his light blue polo shirt covered in blood. The victim suffered multiple fractures to the bones around his face, a finger laceration that required stitches, and bruising. He was hospitalized for three days. It is a harrowing reminder of how quickly a calculated scheme can shatter an ordinary evening.

The Defendants and the Charges

Dani Amanuel, 28, of New York; Kenny Fetiere, 26, of West Orange, New Jersey; and Kibret Meles, 28, of Livingston, New Jersey, are each charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Federal authorities became involved because the alleged kidnapping involved interstate travel from New York into New Jersey.

Fetiere and Meles were arrested on Tuesday, September 22, while Amanuel remains at large. Fetiere and Meles were previously arrested near Seattle in August in connection with an unrelated alleged robbery involving an iPhone. Fetiere was also arrested in New Jersey in November 2025 after an alleged drunk-driving incident that injured two people. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl and is being handled by the Southern District's Violent Organizations and Crime Unit.

What Prosecutors Are Saying

"Anyone who attempts to use violence and intimidation to abduct and rob others will face serious federal charges," U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said. The FBI's New York Field Office worked alongside the Essex County Sheriff's Office to build the case. FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said authorities had worked with the NYPD and Essex County authorities to identify those allegedly involved.

With one suspect still on the run, the case is far from closed. Authorities are actively searching for Amanuel, and the public is urged to report any information to law enforcement. The charges serve as a stark warning that crimes crossing state lines trigger the full weight of federal prosecution — and that a maximum sentence of life in prison is very much on the table. For visitors to New York City, the case is a sobering reminder that not every stranger offering a ride has good intentions.