5 Queens men charged with kidnapping and murder after body found in New Hampshire forest
WHITE PLAINS, New York (WABC) -- Five men from Queens are facing kidnapping and murder charges after authorities say they lured, assaulted, and buried a man in a New Hampshire forest.
The U.S. Attorney Office in the Southern District of New York say the men lured the victim, identified as Peng Cheng Li, to a Flushing restaurant last July with the intent of holding him for ransom.
They say Donxing Zheng, 28, Wangchao He, 29, Jiangnan Lin, 22, Dong Liu, 35, and Sui Zhang, 22, abducted and assaulted Li.
At some point during the alleged abduction, which, according to authorities, saw the men drive from Queens through various boroughs across New York City and Westchester County, the victim died.
As alleged in the indictment unsealed Thursday in a White Plains federal court, the men drove to New Hampshire, where they were captured on surveillance purchasing digging materials from a Home Depot in Concord.
The document describes security photo from the store capturing one of the men with apparent blood stains on his shirt.
The body of the victim was found in a forest in Twin Mountain, New Hampshire.
The five men are charged with kidnapping resulting in death, conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death, and conspiracy to distribute ketamine.
If convicted, the men could face life in prison.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
