Wadel pleads guilty in kidnapping caper

On Wednesday, Andrew Wadel, 22, of Rich Hill, pleaded guilty in a Sussex County, N.J., courtroom to one count of first degree kidnapping and three lesser charges.

According to a story by the Associated Press, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of 18 years in the state penitentiary when he is sentenced in a hearing set for June 10.

Wadel was one of five Vernon County men charged in a bizarre case that began in November of 2009 and came to light in January of 2010 when the group is alleged to have mistakenly kidnapped 61-year-old Jeffrey Muller of Frankford, N.J.

Wadel, Lonnie Swarnes of Rich Hill, and Douglas Stangeland of Nevada, had been led to believe that Muller was a money broker involved in a land deal gone bad and kidnapped him from his pet food store in New Jersey and were returning him to Missouri when their car broke down in Lake Ozark, Mo.

Their plan began to unravel when Muller tried to escape and was seen by a convenience store clerk. Their arrests and the following investigation into the matter led to the arrest of two other Vernon County men. William Barger and Roy Slates, both of Nevada were also charged with several felonies in the matter.

All five of the men were extradited to New ∆Jersey to face various charges. Wadel, Stangeland, Swarnes and Barger are still there with all but Wadel awaiting their day in court.

Slates pleaded guilty to second degree conspiracy to commit theft by extortion on Dec. 16, 2010, and was released on a personal recognizance bond. Slates has agreed to assist authorities in further prosecutions. He returned to Nevada where he appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Neal Quitno on Thursday, March 31, 2011 on one class D felony charge of concealing a felony and one class D felony charge of hindering prosecution of a felony.

During the brief court proceeding, Slates waived his rights to a preliminary hearing and was bound over for arraignment before Circuit Judge James R. Bickel on April 12.