Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Dermot Shea, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging OWEN DRAIN, a/k/a “Whiteboy,” a/k/a “Tommy,” with the November 19, 2019, gunpoint kidnapping of a victim in the Bronx. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Victor Marrero. DRAIN was arrested this afternoon, and will be presented today before United States Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendant kidnapped a victim in a car at gunpoint. Thanks to the outstanding work of the FBI and the NYPD, the defendant is now charged in federal court for this extremely serious crime.”
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said: “This arrest and indictment reflects the hard work that members of the NYPD engage in each day to hold responsible the small number of individuals committing much of the violence in New York City. I commend the efforts of the NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners involved in this investigation.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]:
As alleged, on November 19, 2019, OWEN DRAIN kidnapped a victim at gunpoint and zip tied the victim during the course of the kidnapping.
DRAIN, 35, of Yonkers, New York, is charged with kidnapping, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The statutory maximum penalty is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by the judge.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Ni Qian and Michael D. Longyear are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
