Pair Convicted Of Kidnapping And Torturing Man For Drugs And Cash

BROOKLYN, NY — A pair were convicted of kidnapping and torturing a man for hours in Brooklyn, burning his arms with a hot iron, to steal drugs and cash from him, federal prosecutors said.

A federal jury found Michael Crumble, 34, and Ramell Markus, 35, guilty on Monday of kidnapping on Monday for capturing the man in Queens then taking him to a spot in Brooklyn, authorities said.

On Dec. 17, Markus called to meet the man as he was returning home to Queens then met him outside shortly after midnight on Dec. 18 with Crumble, according to court papers.

Crumble and another man pushed the victim into a Toyota 4Runner then held a gun to his head while Markus threatened to shoot him in the face, prosecutors said. Markus grabbed the gun and pistol-whipped the victim then drove him to a house in Brooklyn.

During the hours-long ordeal, Markus broke a glass on his face and the suspects burnt his arm with a hot iron while they demanded he hand over any drugs and cash in his home, according to court papers. They also wanted the address of another house they believed more was stashed.

The victim called his fiancée, who eventually turned over money and drugs to the suspect, but the kidnappers later drove him to a Brooklyn hotel demanding the address for a stash house, federal prosecutors said.

After nearly eight hours, they drove him back home when he didn't give up the spot and forced him to give them a pound of marijuana as collateral, prosecutors said.

Crumble and Markus were arrested and hit with a five-count indictment for the crime in February. After a six-day trial, a jury found both guilty of kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping and committing physical violence in furtherance of an extortion on Monday, federal prosecutors said. They face up to life in prison at their sentencing.

"As the jury found, Crumble and Markus abducted the victim and took him to a location in Brooklyn that became a torture chamber, where he was beaten and burned with a hot iron in an attempt to extract drugs, money and information to settle a drug dispute," Eastern District Attorney Richard Donoghue said in a statement. "The defendants will now be held responsible for their ruthless conduct."

Both Crumble and Markus have long criminal records and spent time behind bars, court papers show. Markus was first convicted in 1999 for robbery and spent one year in prison for the charge.

In 2006, he was sentenced to an 18-month order of protection for grand larceny then two-and-a-half years in prison for drug trafficking in Maine, according to court papers.

Crumble previously spent eight years behind bars when he was convicted of robbery in 2005 and has two open warrants for robbery, assault and harassment upstate, court papers show.

Lead image: Michael Crumble (left) and Ramell Markus (U.S. Attorney Eastern District of New York)