NEW YORK (TCD) — Federal prosecutors have charged a 35-year-old man and his 36-year-old wife with allegedly carjacking the woman’s ex-husband, killing him, and disposing of his body in a “sophisticated” scheme involving multiple burner phones.
On Thursday, June 15, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District announced Nicholas Orsini and Jamie Orsini were arrested on charges of carjacking resulting in death and conspiracy in connection with the 2020 death of Steven Kraft.
The criminal complaint alleges the Orsinis took the first steps in their plan to kill Kraft on or about April 26, 2020, when they went to Home Depot and other stores to buy “supplies for a scheme to murder Steven Kraft and take his car,” including a large tarp, a Tyvek suit, and duct tape.
The same day, they allegedly drove from their home in Beacon, New York, to Newburgh, New York, “in order to determine how to dispose of Steven Kraft’s car,” which the U.S. Attorney’s Office called a “dry run.” In addition, they allegedly purchased several burner phones as a way of communicating with each other.
According to the criminal complaint, Kraft and Jamie Orsini have children together and he had custody Tuesday evenings and every other weekend. On April 28, 2020, he picked up his daughters from Jamie Orsini’s home at around 4 p.m. and took them to a nearby Sonic. Orsini allegedly followed Kraft to Sonic and activated her burner phone.
He dropped them off at approximately 7 p.m. and disappeared. Around the same time, a co-worker texted Nicholas Orsini asking where he was, and Nicholas said Jamie’s car broke down and he was waiting on AAA to pick them up.
Prosecutors allege Nicholas Orsini drove Kraft’s Camry to Newburgh and abandoned it. He then reportedly walked to a gas station and called a cab to drive him back to his home in Beacon.
According to the complaint, on May 2, a man matching Nicholas Orsini’s description went to Home Depot and purchased galvanized steel trash cans, an ax, steed rod, angle grinder, odorless charcoal lighter fluid, a flame lighter, and other items. The next day, he reportedly bought “a large amount of firewood.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the items are “equipment that can be used to chop up and burn a body.”
Kraft’s remains have not yet been found.
The Orsinis could face up to life in prison or death if convicted of carjacking resulting in death and up to five years for conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said, “Their alleged scheme was sophisticated — it involved burner phones, stealing and dumping Kraft’s car, and, ultimately, disposing of Kraft’s body. In doing so, the Orsinis denied Kraft’s family — including Kraft’s children with Jamie — the dignity of having a proper burial. This complaint shows that no matter how well you cover up your heinous act, law enforcement will not relent until they have uncovered your crimes.”
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