A former Exxon security guard and his wife were arrested Friday and charged with kidnapping the president of the oil company's international division, who was still missing.
The executive, Sidney J. Reso, disappeared April 29, when his empty car was found idling at the end of his driveway in suburban Morris Township, an hour after he left for work."At this extremely sensitive point Mr. Reso is still being sought and the investigation is continuing," said U.S. Attorney Michael Chertoff.
"By no means are we celebrating the successful conclusion of this investigation," said Morris County Prosecutor W. Michael Murphy.
Arthur and Irene Jacqueline Seale were arrested early Friday in Hackettstown in northwestern New Jersey by FBI agents.
The Seales refused to speak with investigators, officials said.
The Seales, both 45, were charged with kidnapping and extortion. They made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Donald Haneke, who ordered them held without bail until a hearing Monday.
If convicted, they could face life in prison and fines more than $1 million, Chertoff said. He said similar state charges were being prepared.
A prerecorded phone call Tuesday directed FBI agents to a note instructing them to package millions of dollars in used $100 bills in a laundry bag.
A series of notes Thursday eventually directed agents to a phone booth in the northern New Jersey community of Peapack. There, the drop-off team received a call from a pay phone in a nearby mall, which was under FBI surveillance.
The Seales were arrested at a car rental agency when Irene Seale allegedly drove there in a white Mercedes to pick up her husband.