DANBURY, Conn. (WFSB) – Three men are facing federal kidnapping charges after prosecutors say they orchestrated a violent carjacking and kidnapping in Danbury last August.
James Schwab, 22, of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, Adam Iza, 25, of California, and Saif Faiq, 22, of St. Louis, Missouri, were charged this week with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
The kidnapping victims are the parents of someone suspected of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency, according to court documents.
On August 25, 2024, Danbury Police arrested six Florida men who carjacked a Lamborghini Urus and kidnapped two people.
Prosecutors say Schwab, Iza and Faiq were the masterminds behind the kidnapping. Schwab had a fight with the victims’ son at a Miami nightclub in July 2024 and stayed in contact with the kidnappers before the crime. He provided money and helped arrange transportation and places to stay.
Iza used his phone and encrypted messaging apps to communicate with the kidnappers and tell them what to do. He also helped fund the operation.
Faiq recruited people for the crime, traveled to Connecticut for the planned home invasion and kidnapping, worked with Iza and helped watch the victims.
Schwab was arrested in January and is out on a $1.5 million bond while awaiting trial.
Faiq was arrested in November and remains in custody waiting for his court appearance in Connecticut.
Iza has been in jail since September 2024 on separate federal charges in California.
The kidnapping conspiracy charge could mean life in prison. The robbery conspiracy charge carries up to 20 years.
Six other people were charged in connection with the carjacking and kidnapping. All have pleaded guilty.
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