Man pleads guilty after being connected to a deadly kidnapping in Lexington
A man has admitted to being an accessory to a kidnapping which turned deadly at a Lexington auto shop in 2017, according to court documents.
Jose Tlatenchi, one of several suspects involved in a kidnapping and attack which left two dead, entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors Tuesday for his involvement in trying to cover up the 2017 slayings.
Tlatenchi is tied to the the deaths of 29-year-old Jose Olascoaga and 27-year-old Marco Antonio Tunai Ortiz, both from Lexington. He could face up to 15 years in prison and a $125,000 fine now that he’s pleaded guilty.
On Sept. 14, 2017, police were alerted after Olascoaga and Ortiz’s bodies were found in the trunk of a car off Blue Sky Parkway. Court documents allege that Tlatenchi and three other suspects traveled to Lexington from Pennsylvania just days before and met with Ramon Camacho Zepeda at his residence.
After meeting up, Zepeda and the three other suspects — Rosario Diaz Barraza, Jean Michael Serrano Jimenez and John Carlos Betancourt — went to an automotive shop owned by Olascoaga on Blue Sky Parkway, where Barraza and Zepeda killed Olascoaga and Ortiz, according to court records.
Tlatenchi arrived at the auto shop while the assault was in progress, according to court documents. Tlatenchi could see Zepeda holding a large, bladed object that was approximately 16 inches in length, according to the plea agreement.
Tlatenchi was present when the bodies of both victims were loaded into the trunk of Ortiz’s car, according to his plea agreement. The suspects parked the car outside the auto shop. Olascoaga’s wife found the car and the bodies several days later, and called police.
Tlatenchi listened to Zepeda and Diaz as they talked about the attack immediately afterward, according to court records.
Diaz-Barraza and Zepeda allegedly demanded money from Olascoaga that was “owed to them from the distribution” of controlled substances, according to court records. A witness also told police that Zepeda believed his wife was having an affair with Olascoaga, according to court records.
Tlatenchi tried to hide Olascoaga’s vehicles by bringing them back to Pennsylvania and obtaining new insurance and registration for them under his name, according to court documents.
Tlatenchi admitted to his involvement in the crime during an interview with Lexington police in December 2017, according to court documents.
Tlatenchi was facing charges of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and aiding and abetting by transporting stolen vehicles, according to court records. He wound up pleading guilty to one count of being an accessory to a kidnapping after the fact.
Serrano entered into a guilty plea agreement on March 10, 2021 for his involvement in the kidnapping conspiracy. The others are all awaiting trial.
The suspects awaiting trial face federal charges of kidnapping and transporting stolen vehicles, according to court records. They could face life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the kidnapping offense if they’re convicted. They could also face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted on the charge of transporting stolen vehicles.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 9:25 AM.
