A Long Island married father of two who was previously convicted of attempted sex trafficking and kidnapping also pleaded guilty on Tuesday to unlawful possession of a firearm and obstruction of justice.
Andrew Frey, 56, of Coram, New York, pleaded guilty Tuesday, a week after he was convicted of the attempted sex trafficking and attempted kidnapping of two women following a two-week-long trial, according to the Justice Department.
“Frey targeted and used violence against vulnerable members of our society seeking to exploit them for his own sexual gratification,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace of the Eastern District of New York said in a Tuesday statement. “Fortunately, the young women whom the defendant sought to victimize were able to escape. Today’s guilty plea, and the jury’s verdict, make clear there was no escape from justice for this dangerous defendant.”
Both of Frey’s two female victims jumped out of his moving vehicle to escape his kidnapping attempts.
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The 56-year-old, who worked for an airplane parts manufacturer called Sage Parts, according to The New York Post, attempted to kidnap and traffic the first woman in October 2018. He had lured a heroin-addicted sex worker into his vehicle in Mastic, New York, at the time.
When the victim refused to go with Frey to an isolated spot on the beach, Frey threatened to kill her, according to the DOJ.
He attempted to lock her inside his car and speed away while grabbing her neck, but the victim escaped by jumping out of his moving vehicle. She sustained injuries as a result of falling onto the pavement.
Later on, Frey located the victim sleeping in her friend’s vehicle and again attempted to kidnap her at knifepoint, but her friend drove away from him. Frey followed them in his own car, but the victim escaped a second time, the Justice Department said in a press release.
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More than a year later, in July 2019, Frey attempted to take a second sex worker to an isolated area in the woods in Coram. The victim refused, and Frey again became enraged and screamed at the victim, saying he “owned” her before attempting to stop her from leaving his vehicle. The second victim also jumped out of Frey’s car to escape.
“The victims in this case jumped from a moving vehicle rather than risk the fate Frey had waiting for them. Based on the weapons investigators discovered, Frey’s intent was dangerous, if not deadly. These women should be commended for their bravery, which we hope will serve as motivation for any other women being victimized by sexual predators to call us,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll said in a statement.
When law enforcement officer searched Frey’s car during his arrest in November 2019, they found multiple sets of handcuffs, knives, rope and other suspicious items. They also found a firearm and ammunition in a safe inside his home while he was not legally permitted to possess one.
Additionally, Frey had installed a device on his car that allowed him to hide his license plate by pushing a button, according to the DOJ.
The 56-year-old was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison up to a life sentence.
“The defendant has proven to be a dangerous individual with a propensity for preying upon and attacking vulnerable women who refuse to bend to the will of a sexual predator,” Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Rodney Harrison said. “I commend the victims for taking action and coming forward to work with law enforcement to bring a violent and dangerous man to justice.”
