Bay Shore Man Traveled To NC To Kidnap, Attack Woman: Feds

BAY SHORE, NY — A Bay Shore man was arrested and charged Wednesday after federal prosecutors said he harassed, stalked, and traveled to North Carolina, attempting to attack a woman, Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced.

According to the indictment, Russell Martini, 45, and a woman, referred to as "Jane Doe" dated for about four years and lived together for the majority of their relationship.

On March 25, 2022, Jane Doe ended the relationship. From then until about May 2022, Martini repeatedly harassed her, sending hundreds of messages, prosecutors said.

Jane Doe eventually filed a restraining order against Martini, and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in April 2022.

However, Martini continued to text and digitally harass her family with death threats after she moved, prosecutors said.

"You will forever be looking over your shoulder. You and your sister [and your mother]," he wrote in one message, according to court documents.

In other emails, he wrote: "You are f---ed I hope you have a cop with u the rest of your life now I am gonna end yours [Jane Doe]!" and "You're a c--- I'm going to kill you [Jane Doe]!"

In another text to Jane Doe's sister, he wrote: " you better tell your sister to do the right thing so we can talk."

He also made a fake social media account to impersonate the woman, used a compromising photo in the profile and threatened to publish sexual photos and videos online if she didn't respond, prosecutors said.

On May 6, 2022, Martini sent Jane Doe two emails, saying he intended to kill her.

"[Jane Doe] now I am definitely caving your face in that's how face in that's how fast your over me," Martini wrote. "[Jane Doe you are gonna be in a pool of blood I am killing the animals right in front of you. You're hurting me so badly [Jane Doe] that's it your dead I am coming f--kkkkk u [Jane Doe]."

Later that day, he sent Jane Doe another email, saying that if she would not get back together with him, he would "take her by force."

"You call me now text or email," he wrote. "No response I know it's by force. Think I'm kidding good think that."

On May 7, 2022, Martini traveled to Charlotte and waited for Jane Doe at her apartment complex. He then tried to drag her into a car, but a bystander helped stop him, prosecutors said. Martini fled and later emailed the victim asking if she was "ready for round two" and threatened to kill her, authorities said.

Martini was arrested and remains in state custody and will appear in federal court, King said. He is charged with cyberstalking, stalking, kidnapping, and making interstate threats.

He faces a life sentence in federal prison on the kidnapping charge and up to five years for each of the other three charges, King said.