Prosecutor Says Man Admitted Kidnaping His Millionaire Boss

A sewing machine operator at a tuxedo plant admitted Tuesday that he kidnaped his millionaire boss and held him in an underground dungeon for 12 days in hopes of getting a $3-million ransom, a government prosecutor said Tuesday.

Fermin Rodriguez, 38, the alleged ringleader in the bizarre kidnaping of 68-year-old Harvey Weinstein of Lord West Tuxedo Co., appeared in court Tuesday along with his brother, Francisco Antonio, 30. Both men, who were arrested Monday, were ordered held without bail.

“Fermin Rodriguez has made a full confession,” prosecutor Sarah Hines said at a court hearing. “He masterminded and orchestrated this crime.”

Antonio’s wife, Carolina, 28, and Fermin’s girlfriend, Aurelina Leonor, 44, were both arrested Tuesday. They have not appeared in court, but a prosecutor said Tuesday that charges would not be pressed against Carolina Rodriguez.

In a plot that Police Chief Raymond Kelly said rivaled any Hollywood movie, the group allegedly grabbed Weinstein at knifepoint on Aug. 4 as he left the Queens, N.Y., diner where he ate breakfast each morning on his way to his factory.

Police found Weinstein on Monday in a 10-foot-deep hole near the Hudson River. He had survived for 12 days on fruit and water.

At the hearing, the prosecutor said that Antonio had confessed to “feeding Mr. Weinstein while he was being held captive.”

The rescue came after the ransom had been paid, but police later recovered all of the money. Investigators said the kidnapers had planned to flee to the Dominican Republic.