Opa Locka, FL – A federal jury in Florida found two men guilty of abducting three individuals, forcibly placing them in a van, and driving around for hours before opening fire, resulting in the deaths of two victims, while the third managed to survive against the odds.
James Edward Daniels, 59, and Frederick Eugene Rudolph, 69, have been convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping leading to death, along with several counts of kidnapping resulting in death, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
On December 5, 2020, Daniels, Rudolph, and others forcibly took the victims from a truck yard in Opa-Locka, a Miami suburb, and placed them in the back of a rented U-Haul van. Prosecutors reported that the suspects inflicted torture on the victims, binding their eyes with duct tape and stealing their drugs.
Daniels and Rudolph spent hours driving around with the victims before arriving at an abandoned house, where they attempted to carry out their plan against them. Two individuals, later recognized as Osmar Oliva, 50, and Johan Gonzalez Quesada, 26, have passed away.
According to prosecutors, one individual was airlifted to the hospital and managed to survive despite the challenging circumstances. Authorities in Miami-Dade reported that the victims were found to have been restrained. According to federal authorities, Daniels took jewelry from one of the victims.
On March 10, the two suspects could be sentenced to life in prison. A 56-year-old man named Herbert Barr entered a guilty plea for kidnapping on November 26.
Documents indicate that Daniels and Rudolph faced additional charges related to drug distribution in July 2022. A judge has handed down sentences this year, with Rudolph receiving 11 years behind bars and Daniels getting 35 months, which is just shy of three years.
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In November 2023, the men faced indictment related to the kidnapping case. Both are familiar with the workings of the criminal justice system. Daniels has a lengthy incarceration history with the Florida Department of Corrections that spans four decades.
At the time of the murders, records indicate that Rudolph was under probation due to a drug-related offense.