Plea hearing set for alleged scam artist accused of kidnapping stranger to deliver drugs
Lang
3/2/19
A plea hearing has been scheduled for a Coralville man accused of kidnapping a man and forcing him to act as a drug delivery driver.
On Friday Judge Andrew Chappell set a date of March 29th to hear a plea from 36-year-old Erhan Kraina of 19th Avenue, who’s charged with 1st Degree Robbery and False Imprisonment.
Police say Kraina asked for a ride from a stranger the night of July 21st last year saying he needed a ride from South Johnson Street to Hy-Vee. But police say once inside the vehicle, Kraina displayed a handgun and forced the driver to take him to multiple locations in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids so he could deal drugs.
Police say Kraina gave the man $200 for driving him around.
He was arrested a few days later. If convicted on the two charges, Kraina faces up to 26 years in prison.
Kraina has since been charged with multiple theft counts for allegedly scamming people out of money, saying he needed cash for such made-up emergencies as his car breaking down or locking his keys inside his vehicle. Because of those pending charges, Chappell has revoked the terms of Kraina’s pre-trial release.