Two Brooklyn men convicted of kidnapping, murder: DA

Two men from East New York, Brooklyn have been convicted of kidnapping and murder after the forced abduction and killing of a Williamsburg man in November, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson announced Tuesday.

Tramel Cuencas, 24, and Irving Gavin, 28, will be sentenced on May 3 and face 50 years to life in prison. Cuencaswas convictedofmurder and robbery whileIrving had charges of kidnapping and burglary in the forced abduction and killing of Thomas Dudley.

Dudley was kidnapped from his Williamsburg apartment and his body was found the next day in Forest Park, Queens. His throat was cut from ear-to-ear and his wrists were slashed, investigators said.

Cuencas and Gavin, both members of the Elm Street Piru gang, made incriminating statements after the arrests, according to prosecutors. Theyadmittedto the kidnapping, indicatingthat itwas ordered by another gang member as retaliation from adrug dispute involvingthe victim. Theyexpected to be paid in cash, drugs and the victim’s Jaguar in exchange for kidnapping Dudley.

“These two defendants kidnapped a man and then slit his throat all for money, drugs and a car,” Thompson said.”They will now pay a steep price for their barbaric acts.”

According to trial testimony, on November 14, 2012, Cuencas and Gavin forced their way into the victim’s apartment before holding him and three others at gunpoint. The three others were family members, including his young sister.

The defendants took $10,000 from a safe in the apartment, tied the victim’s hands and then directed him outside to a U-haul truck. His body was found the next day in Forest Park.