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A Lancaster County man, Joshua B. Fernando, 27, has been sentenced to six to 23 months in prison for faking his own kidnapping by the mafia to obtain ransom money. Fernando pleaded guilty to theft by deception and will also serve two years of probation.
Fernando's elaborate scheme began in May 2024 when he told his victims he was on a business trip in Europe. He claimed he was involved in a car accident with a bulletproof vehicle owned by a mafia boss in the United Kingdom. Fernando alleged that the mafia had captured him and threatened to kill him unless a ransom was paid.
To make his story believable, Fernando used a VPN to hide his true location and sent his victims photos of his bruised face. He even created videos depicting himself being assaulted by a masked man holding a gun. The victims, believing his story, sent him a total of $126,500.
However, as Fernando's requests for money increased, the victims grew suspicious and contacted the London Metropolitan Police and the U.S. Embassy. Upon returning to the United States, Fernando claimed the mafia continued to threaten him. The victims then reported the situation to the Pennsylvania State Police and the FBI, who confirmed it was a scam.
Police found Fernando attempting to withdraw $130,000 from a bank account in Lancaster County. Evidence on his cellphone revealed conversations with his supposed captor about making the ransom videos appear real. Fernando admitted to fabricating the kidnapping to obtain money.
According to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, Assistant District Attorney Daniel Lingousky prosecuted the case, and Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Michael Reynolds filed the charges. Fernando's sentence was handed down by Judge Dennis Reinaker on February 10.