Buffalo, New York — A former U.S. Marine and Army veteran has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after admitting he helped kidnap a man he believed was cooperating with law enforcement and fatally shot him in a Pennsylvania field more than a decade ago.
Federal prosecutors said Anthony Neubauer, 39, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting kidnapping in connection with the 2014 death of Joseph Anthony. The sentence was handed down Tuesday in U.S. District Court.
Prosecutors: Victim Lured with Promise of Drugs
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Neubauer and co-defendant Matthew Rudy, 43, lured Anthony in May 2014 with the promise of cocaine. The men drove him from New York to Rudy’s property in Pennsylvania.
During the drive, Neubauer allegedly held a gun to the back of Anthony’s seat. Once they arrived, prosecutors said the pair forced Anthony up a hill on the property.
Authorities said Neubauer shot the victim in the back of the head and torso before the two men buried the body.
Neubauer’s then-girlfriend later told the FBI that he “walked right over the body,” according to court filings cited in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
Investigators conducted three searches of the property over seven years, but they were unable to locate Anthony’s remains until Rudy eventually disclosed the burial site.
Rudy was sentenced last year to five years in prison.
Motive: Belief Victim Was Cooperating with Police
U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said Neubauer and Rudy believed Anthony was cooperating with law enforcement.
“They went to great lengths to silence a person they believed was cooperating in a law enforcement investigation, including kidnapping, crossing state lines, murder and disposing of a body,” DiGiacomo said.
He praised law enforcement’s persistence in pursuing the case despite the passage of time.
“A lot of time may have passed, but our law enforcement partners demonstrated perseverance and unwavering determination.”
Defense Cited Military Service and Trauma
In court filings, Neubauer’s attorney described a troubled personal history.
Following the September 11 attacks, Neubauer joined the U.S. Marines, where one individual reportedly nicknamed him “Captain America.” He later served in the Army as a Ranger and deployed overseas multiple times, including combat in Iraq.
He was discharged in 2014 due to injuries.
According to the defense, Neubauer struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and heavy alcohol consumption after returning to civilian life in upstate New York. His attorney said he sometimes drank up to 30 beers a day and used cocaine heavily.
Court filings state he began working as “muscle” for drug dealers, intimidating individuals over debts.
In 2019, Neubauer was shot at a bar and left paralyzed from the waist down, according to his attorney.
Judge Calls Case “Tragic”
During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford acknowledged Neubauer’s military service but rejected the defense’s request for a reduced sentence of 10 years.
“It’s also tragic that Mr. Neubauer is here,” Wolford reportedly said. “But you can’t intentionally kill somebody and expect to get a [lesser] sentence.”
The judge described the case as tragic, emphasizing the seriousness of intentionally taking another person’s life.
With the sentence imposed, Neubauer will now serve two decades in federal prison for his role in the kidnapping and killing.
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