Charlottesville, Virginia –
In connection with a tragic shooting that occurred in the Belmont neighborhood of Charlottesville, Virginia in January 2023, a federal grand jury for the Western District of Virginia delivered an indictment last week. The accusations against two men from Texas include federal conspiracy and kidnapping.
Ricardo Franco-Ordaz, 26, of Cedar Creek, Texas, and Jordan Joseph Perez, 20, of Lockhart, Texas, were both arrested earlier this week in Texas and formally charged with one count each of Conspiracy to Kidnap, Kidnapping, Conspiracy to Transport an Alien Resulting in Death, Transportation of an Alien Resulting in Death, and Conspiracy to Receive Money in Connection with a Kidnapping, according to U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh.
Details Revealed in Criminal Case
Franco-Ordaz, Perez, and other accomplices plotted the kidnapping of numerous victims for ransom in early January 2023, according to documents disclosed in the indictment.
A member of the criminal group was killed in a gunfight that broke out during the execution of their kidnapping and extortion scheme, which involved transporting captives from Texas to Virginia.
Two ladies were to be abducted by Franco-Ordaz from a region near the US-Mexico border and taken to a residence close to Austin, Texas. After holding the women against their will and using gunpoint, Franco-Ordaz, and others contacted the women’s loved ones and demanded payment to ensure their safe return.
A Fiery Crash Occurs
In Texas, Franco-Ordaz traded one of the female victims for $5,000. The second female victim was taken to Charlottesville, Virginia, by Perez and another conspirator on January 8, 2023, so that the two could arrange to trade her for $10,000.
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Unfortunately, it became public knowledge just before the exchange was supposed to happen that all $10,000 were not available. One of the kidnappers died in the subsequent altercation and gunfight.
The case was investigated by HSI Austin, Texas, with help from the Charlottesville Police Department, the Albemarle County Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
The accusations stated in this publication are only accusations, and the defendant(s) are deemed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt, according to the rules of the court.
