Northeast's Most Wanted Gangster Thug

Fugitive Anthony Mota a.k.a Tony Mota worked for NYC Colombian drug dealers as a thug.

NEW JERSEY NEWS -- Anthony Mota a.k.a Tony Mota is the Northeast's most wanted gangster thug for murder, racketeering, kidnapping, extortion, arson, and unlawful use of a firearm. Mota was working for Colombian drug dealers in New York City collecting drug-related debts owed the Colombian gangsters when he kidnapped and killed Eddie Acevedo.

Fugitive Thug - Anthony Mota a.k.a Tony Mota

According to testimony and evidence presented at Bienvenido Casilla's criminal trial, an accomplice of Anthony Mota, describes a story about the infamous underworld of Colombian drug dealing in New York City, which leads to a vicious kidnapping, extortion, and murder in New Jersey and New York.

In late November, Casilla, his stepson Juan Machado, and Tony Mota, met with a Colombian drug dealer called "John" in a restaurant in New York City. At the meeting, Casilla and Mota agreed to help collect $180,000 that the victim, Eddie Acevedo, owed the NYC Colombian drug dealers. If successful in collecting the debt, the thugs would receive 30 percent of the debt collected. John gave them a description of Acevedo's car, a white Montero, his license plate number, and the locations where he might be found.

In New York City, on the afternoon of December 13, 1997, Casilla, Mota, Machado, and other persons cut off Acevedo's car in Manhattan and abducted Acevedo placing him in Casilla's car. The kidnappers then drove Acevedo to Casilla's home in Edison, New Jersey. Meanwhile, Machado followed behind in Acevedo's car.

During the next twenty-four hours, Casilla, Mota and Machado made a series of telephone calls to Acevedo's family and friends, demanding payment of a ransom and threatening to kill Acevedo if the money was not paid. The amount of the ransom demanded would vary between $50,000 and $180,000, at one point the kidnappers demanded that the ransom be paid partly in cash and partly in cocaine.

No matter how, Acevedo's family and friends were unable to raise the entire amount of the ransom. After only raise $23,000 in cash, Acevedo's wife offered to give her car and a Rolex watch to obtain Acevedo's safe return. Mota and his accomplices agreed to accept this ransom offer.

As instructed by the kidnappers, Acevedo's wife left her car, the money and the watch on a Manhattan street. She then paged the kidnappers to telling them where the ransom could be picked up. Mota and Casilla retrieved the car from the drop site, removed the money and watch, and abandoned the car in a Manhattan parking garage, but failed to release Acevedo. Casilla, Machado and Mota then split the $23,000 three ways and gave the watch to the Colombian drug dealers.

However, after Acevedo failed to return home by the morning following payment of the ransom, his wife called the police and reported the kidnapping. The police were able to locate her car in the parking garage the next day. Acevedo's wife and her cousin, Carlos Pacheo, gave the New York City police the telephone numbers they had used to communicate with the kidnappers. Pacheo also gave the police permission to monitor and trace any telephone calls made to his cell phone. Acevedo subsequently called Pacheo's cell phone number several times, asking for more money and/or cocaine as additional ransom to gain his release.

On December 16, 1997, the Colombian drug dealers told Casilla and Mota that the police had recovered the car that Acevedo's wife had given them as part of the ransom. The Colombians also told Mota that Acevedo was a police informant and should be killed.

According to Jaun Machado's testimony against his stepfather, later that day, he, Casilla, and Mota put Acevedo in his car. Mota started to drive Acevedo's car along Route 280 in New Jersey, and Machado drove Casilla's car about a quarter-mile ahead of him. Casilla sat in the back seat of Acevedo's car, directly behind Acevedo. After Machado saw Acevedo's car first swerve back and forth and then slow down, he stopped and began driving backward on the shoulder. As he approached Acevedo's car, he saw Casilla and Mota jump out and start running toward him. Acevedo's car suddenly burst into flames as Mota and Casilla got into the waiting car. Afterward the police found Acevedo's burning White Montero with his body still inside. An autopsy indicated he had been killed by two gunshots before the fire.

The New Jersey State Police conducted an extensive investigation over the next three-and-a-half months, which included visual surveillance of Casilla and a wiretap of his cell phone. The investigation produced substantial evidence of Casilla's continuing involvement in drug transactions and the collection of money owed by drug dealers, but did not produce any evidence of his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Acevedo. However, on April 8, 1998, the New Jersey State Police and New York City police arrested Casilla in Manhattan. After the police disclosed some of the evidence they had obtained against him, Casilla admitted his involvement in drug trafficking and in Acevedo's kidnapping. Although, Casilla claimed he had objected to killing Acevedo and was not in the car at the time of the murder. According to Casilla, it had been Machado driving Acevedo's car and Mota was sitting with the victim in the rear seat. Furthermore, Casilla claimed he followed them in his own car. At some point, he saw Machado and Mota motioning him to pull over. When he did so, Acevedo's vehicle was engulfed in flames, and Machado and Mota ran to his car and jumped in. Mota told Casilla, he had shot Acevedo and set him on fire.

Either way, Anthony Mota was involved in the killing of Eddie Acevedo. Additionally, when considering the testimonies of both Casilla and Machado, this fugitive, Anthony Mota was even in the car when Acevedo was shot twice. However, we will never know Anthony Mota's version of this kidnapping, extortion and murder without his arrest and trial.

So, this most wanted gangster thug is described as:

• Aliases: Elipidio A. Mota, Anthony E. Sanchez, Tony Mota
• Birth Date: September 15, 1958
• POB: Dominican Republic
• LKA: Brooklyn, New York
• Height: 70 inches
• Weight: 220 pounds
• Eyes: Brown
• Hair: Black, gray, and balding
• Sex: Male
• Race: Hispanic
• FBI Number: 792932N3
• NJ State Police Fugitive Unit File Number: H02398-257 and H09397-87

Lastly, Anthony Mota is considered extremely dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone with information on the location of this most wanted gangster thug, Anthony Mota a.k.a. Tony Mota, should call the New Jersey State Police Fugitive Unit tip line at 800-437-7839. Outside the United States, please contact 866-847-7425, or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.