MIXON
Two music-business wannabes shook down their partner for iPads and laptops after threatening to kill his family and rape his girlfriend if he didn’t shell out $50,000, police sources said.
The ill-fated business partnership ended with John Fontein, 27, buying them almost $4,000 worth of gadgets at a Midtown Apple Store after Andres Lozano and Ryan Mixon threatened to kill his family and do “unspeakable things to his girlfriend,” the sources said.
Fontein went into music business in 2011 with Lozano, who acted as a talent scout, the sources said.
But at some point the partnership went south, and the two had a contract dispute, the sources said.
“It was like a business deal gone bad,” a police source said.
Lozano brought on Mixon — a producer — as a business partner.
Fontein went to meet Lozano on Thursday evening at the Mediterranean restaurant Pera SoHo to work out the issue, police sources said.
But the meeting turned violent, and Mixon and Lozano allegedly demanded $50,000 and threatened to kill his family with guns and knives.
Neither actually showed a weapon, the sources said.
Cops said the duo demanded $1,000 as a down payment, but Fontein couldn’t get the cash out of an ATM — so he told them “use my credit card.”
They dragged him uptown to the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, where he charged $3,800 worth of iPad Minis and laptops before they let him go, police sources said.
The next day, Fontein was at the First Precinct reporting the crime when his partners sent him threatening text messages and set up a “drop time,” police sources said.
They made plans to meet up at the same restaurant, where cops collared them.
They were both charged with kidnapping, robbery, and grand larceny.
The duo was arraigned last night in Manhattan Criminal Court, where Judge Matthew Sciarrino set bail for Mixon at $100,000 bond or $75,000 cash and for Lozano at $50,000 bond or $20,000 cash.
The judge also issued an order of protection, barring the pair from having any contact with Fontein, who could not be reached for comment.
Additional reporting by Dana Sauchelli, Aaron Feis and Daniel Prendergast