A 76-year-old man who pleaded guilty for his part in the kidnapping of an Irvine woman to extort money from her family was sentenced Friday to four years in prison, or time he has already served behind bars awaiting trial.
Ezra Schley pleaded guilty Oct. 8, 2021, to felony burglary. As part of his plea deal, felony charges of kidnapping for ransom or extortion and attempted extortion by force or threat were dismissed, according to court records. His city of residence was not disclosed.
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“He just got sucked up into something by those guys,” Schley’s attorney, Cameron Talley, said. “He was just an old guy and they used his office or he said, `Hey, will you help drive.”‘
Co-defendants Yang “Rose” Wang, 42, of Huntington Beach and Reha Soylular, 60, of Newport Beach, pleaded guilty in June to kidnapping for extortion, burglary and attempted extortion by force or threat, all felonies. They were sentenced to six years and six months in prison.