A federal jury has convicted three New Jersey men of kidnapping and torturing an Astoria man for hours in a 2022 extortion scheme. The victim was abducted at gunpoint outside his Astoria apartment complex, driven across state lines and held captive for more than five hours while his captors demanded a staggering ransom.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, based in Brooklyn, posted the statement September 24, 2026, from its official account, US Attorney EDNY
, quoting United States Attorney Nocella as saying, “Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for the sadistic kidnappings and torture of three separate individuals.” The post’s reference to “today’s verdict” was not about the Astoria verdict, which came on July 10, 2025.
Separately, court proceedings tied to the 2022 Astoria kidnapping reached a verdict on July 10, when a federal jury in Brooklyn convicted Aasim Boone, Jarrett Bruce and Lesly Valentin, according to QNS. The three New Jersey men were found guilty of kidnapping conspiracy, transmitting interstate threats with intent to extort and attempted obstruction of justice, the outlet reported.
A Ransom Demand Turned Violent
According to QNS, the victim was grabbed at gunpoint outside his Astoria apartment complex in December 2022 and driven to New Jersey, where he was subjected to escalating torture and held for more than five hours. The report states the men beat him with a gun, poured bleach on him, burned his back and legs with a blowtorch and sliced his ear with a knife.
The same account describes Lesly Valentin threatening further harm to the victim and his family unless he handed over $150,000 in cash and 50 pounds of marijuana. The case centered on allegations of abduction, torture and a demand for $150,000 in cash and 50 pounds of marijuana.
Defendants Face Up to Life Behind Bars
All three defendants now face up to life in prison following the verdict, the outlet noted. U.S. Attorney Nocella said in a statement reported by the same source, “With today’s verdict, the defendants’ efforts to escape accountability have failed and they now face significant punishment.”
