A Wilbraham man has been charged with kidnapping, armed robbery and extortion for allegedly shaking down two men over purported online interactions with a fictional underage girl, according to the defendant’s lawyer.
One of the victims includes an East Longmeadow youth swim coach, court records show.
Giancarlo Daniele, 18, of Surrey Drive, was arrested after the men separately reported to Wilbraham police Daniele staged a stick-up with a Taser on Jan. 17, demanding thousands to keep quiet about alleged interactions on Facebook, Snapchat and other online apps, according to police records.
Daniele was arraigned in Palmer District Court on Thursday and released on $10,000 cash bail.
A high school senior, Daniele pleaded not guilty to the charges and his defense attorney argued the “victims” are not victims at all.
He was arrested after a brief struggle with police on Jan. 18 when one victim, Sean Pennington, an assistant coach on the Marlins recreational swim team in East Longmeadow, tipped police to a drop site when he was ordered to bring more money to a man who threatened him with a Taser the day before.
“The caller told Mr. Pennington he knew where he lived and worked and other personal details about Mr. Pennington’s life,” court records read. “The caller instructed Mr. Pennington to to meet him on Maplewood Drive in Wilbraham or he would come to his house. Mr. Pennington drove to Maplewood Drive and was approached by a white male who forcefully entered his…
