WASHINGTON — The London man accused of abducting a Georgetown student off the street and driving him to banks and stores around D.C. in an attempt to get cash has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
Paolo Aldorasi, 34, pleaded guilty Thursday to assault with intent to commit robbery as part of a plea agreement under which prosecutors agreed to drop a federal kidnapping charge.
Prosecutors said Aldorasi, who was visiting the D.C. area in January, approached the student on a street near the Georgetown campus in January. He forced him into his SUV, asked for $2,800 and ordered the student not to answer his phone, according to court documents.
Prosecutors said the student spoke limited English.
According to court documents, Aldorasi drove the student to four ATMs in D.C. in unsuccessful attempts to withdraw cash. Aldorasi then drove the student to a jewelry store in Chevy Chase, Maryland, where he tried to buy a $6,678 bracelet, and a Best Buy near Tenleytown, where he tried to buy an $845 iPhone 7 plus, prosecutors said. The student’s debit card was declined during both attempted purchases.
The student was released after about two hours.
The FBI arrested Aldorasi in Seattle in late February. Authorities said they tracked the London man to the West Coast in part through this public social media postings.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 30. Aldorasi faces a minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of 15 years.
