Lawyer Abducted Outside NYC Strip Club, Beaten and Ditched in New Jersey, Prosecutors Say

Three men have been charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping in connection with the abduction of a lawyer who was in New York City for work. The attorney was allegedly lured into a car outside Rick’s Cabaret on West 33rd Street in Manhattan just before 4 a.m. on June 12, with the promise of a ride to his hotel.

Instead, prosecutors allege, the men, along with a fourth individual cooperating with authorities, assaulted the intoxicated lawyer inside the vehicle. The group allegedly stole his Rolex watch and iPhone during the ordeal, which continued as they drove through the Lincoln Tunnel into New Jersey.

The victim was subsequently abandoned near a nature preserve in West Orange, New Jersey, where he was discovered by a passing cyclist around 5:30 a.m. The cyclist alerted authorities.

"A victim should not have to fear that a night out will end with him being forced across state lines at the hands of violent kidnappers," stated Manhattan US Attorney Jamie McDonald in a news release.

According to court papers, one of the accused, Dani Amanuel, and the cooperating individual had met the victim earlier that night at the Moxy hotel in Times Square. The three men then took a taxi to the strip club. The victim reportedly became separated from his companions inside the club and later left in an "intoxicated" state.

The alleged attackers threatened to kill the attorney if he did not provide his iPhone password as they drove into New Jersey.

The victim was hospitalized for three days, suffering from multiple broken bones around his eyes, a laceration requiring stitches, and significant bruising.

Federal authorities have identified two of the suspects as Kibret Meles, 28, of Livingston, New Jersey, and Kenny Fetire, 26, of West Orange, New Jersey. Both were arrested Tuesday morning and are awaiting their initial court appearance. Amanuel, 28, of Manhattan, remained at large as of Tuesday afternoon.

Federal prosecutors, who cited the crossing of state lines as the basis for federal jurisdiction, charged all three men with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. These charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Prosecutors are seeking to detain the defendants pending trial.

Records indicate that Fetire and Meles were arrested in Seattle, Washington, in August on separate charges for allegedly robbing an acquaintance of his iPhone after assaulting him. Fetire also has a prior arrest in November 2025 for a drunk driving incident in New Jersey that resulted in injuries to two other individuals.

Law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation included the FBI, the NYPD, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office.