TRENTON, Mich. – After a 27-year-old woman ended her relationship of 4-and-a-half years with George Mandarakas for lying about his age, federal prosecutors say he began to stalk her, culminating with a kidnapping plot.
The New Jersey man was charged with one count of attempted kidnapping, which carries up to a 20-year prison sentence.
According to the criminal complaint, the kidnapping plan was discovered after a family member of the alleged victim, who is a private detective, suggested she search for a tracking device on her car and that is indeed what she found.
On Christmas Day, they drove her car to St Joseph’s Church in Trenton,-and they waited in a different vehicle. A short time later Mandarakas arrived.
He spent about 20 minutes inside the church before coming back out, according to the complaint.
It appeared he was checking if the woman’s vehicle was still in the parking lot, investigators said.
Mandarakas was stopped by police and the complaint said he told them he was at St Joseph’s because his former girlfriend attends the church. He was arrested for stalking.
Inside his vehicle, which was a rental car, the complaint said police found a large quantity of US and Canadian currency, multiple cell phones, and another tracking device.
They said they also located his registered vehicle in Woodhaven and found a firearm, ammunition, handcuffs, rope, and a stun gun.
According to the complaint, Mandarakas told a former roommate that he was going to hurt or kidnap the victim and take her to Mexico. He had been listening to a podcast where a man kidnapped a female and then fled to Mexico, the former roommate said.
Mandarakas is due back in federal court Wednesday, Jan. 2.