A married, churchgoing Long Island dad at least twice tried to kidnap prostitutes, driving them against their will to secluded locations only to have them leap for their lives from his moving car, federal authorities said in announcing his arrest.
Andrew Frey, 54, of Coram, Suffolk County, manages an airplane parts factory, and neighbors and relatives say he is a born-again Christian who’s very involved in his church — but the feds painted a different picture Friday.
Frey, the father of two adult kids, sobbed quietly as he pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping and attempted sex trafficking for allegedly picking up lone sex workers on two occasions, in October, 2018 and July, 2019, and trying to take them captive while making violent threats.
In both incidents, Frey’s alleged victims, identified as Jane Does in court papers, escaped by jumping out of his moving vehicle, injuring themselves in the process.
Frey continued to threaten the women even after the kidnapping attempts, and approached his first victim “armed with a weapon” in another failed attempt to abduct her by force, the feds alleged in papers arguing against his being released on bail.
“Jane Doe #1 managed to evade his attempt,” the papers said.
Frey has prior convictions for a felony drug sale and misdemeanor drug possession, possession of stolen property, unauthorized use of a vehicle and criminal mischief.
He faces a mandatory 15-year minimum sentence if he is convicted.
During his arrest Friday morning, authorities found rope and zip ties at his tidy ranch home, as well as a manual on how to tie knots, according to court papers.
They also found “phone records and photographs documenting the injuries sustained by his actions,” the papers said.
“People need help for problems and hopefully that will be the outcome,” his wife, Gina, told reporters before court.
After the arraignment, a still sobbing Frey turned back to look at his wife, putting his arms in the air as if he didn’t understand what was happening before he was led off to jail.
He was ordered held without bail.
“He’s been arrested? For what? This is surprising. He’s like minister material at a church he’s involved with,” his brother, Martin, told The Post, referring to Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle.
“He was a good father for many, many years and did everything families are supposed to do together.”
Neighbors, too, met the news with disbelief.
“My wife saw a lot of cops out here this morning around 6 a.m.,” Alex Goldberg, 34, who lives next door, said Friday afternoon.
Authorities hauled away Frey’s Jeep Cherokee on a flatbed truck, Goldberg said.
“He’s always been very nice, always willing to help out with baby-sitting he offered,” he added.
“He was very involved with the church. It is very shocking and concerning. He’s always working on his cars and is very neighborly.”
A church spokesperson confirmed that Frey is a congregant but said he is not a minister.
Sage Parts in Melville, where the feds said Frey works, did not respond to a request for comment.
Frey was set to be arraigned Friday afternoon and prosecutors oppose letting him go on bail.
Frey “targets sex workers,” the feds said.
At least one other sex worker who is not involved with the case told investigators that she got a restraining order against Frey after he intentionally rammed his vehicle into hers, prosecutors said in court papers.
Frey then violated the restraining order by calling the woman and leaving her threatening voicemails, prosecutors said.
“Given the defendant’s pattern of aggressive conduct against sex workers and the fact that the defendant targets sex workers, an especially vulnerable category of persons unlikely to report acts of violence against them to members of law enforcement, it is likely that the defendant has victimized many others who have not yet reported their experiences to law enforcement,” Assistant US Attorney Monica Castro wrote in Frey’s detention memo.
Additional reporting by Laura Italiano
“People need help for problems and hopefully that will be the outcome,” his wife, Gina, told reporters before court.
After the arraignment, a still sobbing Frey turned back to look at his wife, putting his arms in the air as if he didn’t understand what was happening before he was led off to jail.
He was ordered held without bail.
“He’s been arrested? For what? This is surprising. He’s like minister material at a church he’s involved with,” his brother, Martin, told The Post, referring to Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle.