Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Money Manager Kidnapped-

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 15:57:31 -0500

Money Manager Kidnapped-

Geezee He must have really Pi**** off some some Investors-

Millionaire Abducted, Released; 3 Held
January 13, 2003
By LINDSAY FABER, Greenwich Time

GREENWICH -- In a brazen and unusual crime, the chairman of a
local hedge fund holding billions of dollars was abducted Friday
night in Greenwich and released early Sunday without injury,
police said.

Three men were taken into custody late Sunday after FBI agents
and police from Greenwich and Hamden executed a search
warrant at a room at the Days Inn in Hamden, police said. The
men were being held at FBI headquarters in Bridgeport and had
not been charged.

Edward S. Lampert, the chairman of ESL Investments at 1
Lafayette Place, was abducted Friday evening about 7:30 p.m.
He was released at 2:50 a.m. Sunday in the town, police said.

Lampert, 40, is among the country's wealthiest people. He is
listed by Forbes magazine as the 288th-richest American, with a
personal worth of $800 million.

Greenwich police paired up with the FBI and conducted a
round-the-clock investigation during the weekend that they
believe was instrumental in Lampert's release.

Police would not say whether they spoke directly with Lampert's
abductors, but confirmed there was more than one and that no
ransom was paid.

Acting Police Chief James Walters would not comment Sunday
night on whether Lampert's abductors had taken him to the Days
Inn, nor would he say whether the men in custody knew Lampert
or had any motive.

Earlier Sunday, Walters said there were indications at the
beginning of the investigation that Lampert's disappearance was
more than a missing person case.

A business associate reported Lampert missing, Walters said,
adding that there had been no threats or other indications that
Lampert was going to be abducted.

A phone call to Lampert's home on Saturday indicated he had
been kidnapped about 7:30 p.m. the night before, police said.
Police declined to provide details of the abduction or release.

Lisa Bull, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Connecticut, said their
joint investigation with the Greenwich Police Department was
ongoing and that there would be no further comment.

Lampert issued a statement through Steve Lipin, a representative
from the public relations firm that works with ESL Partners.

"Edward S. Lampert and his family are thankful that he is safely
back home," the statement said.

Lampert, who was reunited with his wife after his release, is
considered a star in the financial world, with his company faring
well this year despite market woes, according to published
reports. The majority of his $5 billion portfolio is concentrated in
only a handful of stocks, including Sears and Footstar Inc.,
according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

A Yale University graduate, Lampert also serves as the director
of AutoZone, a major national retailer of automotive parts and
accessories. He founded ESL Investments in 1988 and was
among a small group of hedge fund managers to pay himself
more than $100 million last year, reports say.

He is the second-richest person in Connecticut, behind fellow
Greenwich resident Mary Anselmo of satellite service provider
PanAmSat, according to Forbes.

http://www.ctnow.com/news/yahoo/hc-2kidnap0113.artjan13.story

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