Florida Men Arrested for Kidnapping an Individual in Abbotsford

Thursday, July 14th, 2022 -- 2:00 PM

Gerardo Hernandez Anselmo, 34, and Felipe Engracia-Gonzalez, 39, both of Kissimmee, Florida, are charged with kidnapping an individual in Abbotsford and holding him for money.

The indictment alleges that on June 9th they transported the victim from Wisconsin to Florida. Anselmo and Engracia-Gonzalez previously were charged with this offense in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on June 23rd.

The complaint alleges that on June 9th the two defendants forced an individual into a vehicle in Abbotsford and transported him to Florida to work off a debt owed to the defendants.

Anselmo and Engracia-Gonzalez were arrested in Florida and are in federal custody.  A date for their initial appearance in Wisconsin has not been set.  If convicted, Anselmo and Engracia-Gonzalez face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

The charge against them is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Colby-Abbotsford Police Department, and the Kissimmee (Florida) Police Department, with assistance from the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the prosecution.

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