On December 17, James Edward Daniels and Frederick Eugene Rudolph were found guilty in a Miami court of conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, multiple counts of kidnapping resulting in death, and kidnapping. The verdict was delivered by U.S. District Court Judge Roy K. Altman.

The charges stem from an incident on December 5, 2020, when Daniels, Rudolph, and other accomplices kidnapped three individuals from a truck yard in Opa Locka, Florida. The victims were bound, tortured, and had their eyes duct-taped before being placed into the back of a rented van after their drugs were stolen. They were driven around the city for several hours before being taken to an abandoned house where they were shot. Two victims died while one survived.

Daniels reportedly stole jewelry from one of the deceased victims. All defendants received drugs or money as compensation for their involvement in the crime.

A third defendant involved in the case, Herbert Barr, pleaded guilty to kidnapping on November 26.

The announcement of the verdict was made by U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida along with Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI's Miami Field Office; Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department; and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA's Miami Field Division.

The investigation was conducted by several agencies including the FBI Miami Division Homestead Resident Agency, Miami-Dade Police Department Homicide Bureau, and DEA Homestead Office. The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Yara Dodin, Nardia Haye, and Katie Guthrie.

Sentencing for Daniels and Rudolph is set for March 10, 2025 before Judge Altman where they face potential life sentences along with criminal fines up to $250,000 per count and lifetime supervised release.

This case was part of efforts by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force which targets drug-trafficking organizations through collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

For more details on this case or related documents visit websites www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls or www.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20431.