Man Kidnapped, Tortured By Relatives Over Shotgun Debt
St. Charles, MO - Police have charged four men for the alleged kidnapping, beating, and torture of a 22-year-old man over a $520 debt. Just think what you could buy with that!
Brothers, Jeffrey Charles Wasser, 24, and Curtis Louis Wasser, 31, are said to have come to the victim's residence late in the evening December 20 and to have forced him into an SUV. Once inside the front seat of the vehicle, the men bound the alleged victim - their cousin - with duct tape. The brothers then reportedly drove the victim to their residence while followed in a separate car by another local named Ryan Joseph Koenig, 24, and Christopher C. Lujan, 22. of Midland, Texas.
According to court documents, the victim was forced inside the residence, where he said the men bound him with even more duct tape and 'threw him down the steps to the basement.' Once in the suspects' basement, the victim reported being beaten with the butt of a gun and tortured with 'some sort of circular device with needles protruding from it.' While this was going on, Jeffrey Wasser was reportedly demanding that the victim pay them $520 - the price the victim got for a shotgun he sold for Jeffrey Wasser and, presumably, never paid. The police account alleges that the victim was told that he would be killed if he did not turn over the money.
After beating and torturing for a bit, the four reportedly left the victim alone in the basement and went to a local bar to drink. The victim was then able to remove the duct tape, escape from the home, and call police.
The four were arrested. When police searched the Wasser residence, they seized eight weapons - including an AK-47 assault rifle. They also reportedly recovered the device used to stab the victim - something called a FAST1 Infusion Device. Police said they believe it is used by the military, as Jeffrey Wasser was a medic in the U.S. Army and served in Afghanistan.
The Wasser brothers were charged with robbery, kidnapping, armed criminal action and assault. They are being held on $100,000 each cash only bail. Koenig and Lujan were charged with kidnapping. Their bail was set at $75,000 each.
Duct tape: $6. More Duct tape: $15. Gas for the SUV: $50. Eight siezed weapons: $3500. Combined cash-only bail: $350,000. ...a chance at getting your hands on $520: Priceless.
Original Article