A former U.S. Marine and Army veteran from New York, Anthony Neubauer, is facing a lengthy prison sentence after confessing to a grisly crime. Neubauer admitted to the kidnapping and execution of a man in Pennsylvania, an act that has now landed him a 20-year prison term. This ruling was handed down on Tuesday, following Neubauer’s guilty plea to charges of aiding and abetting a kidnapping in the 2014 murder of Joseph Anthony, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The crime unfolded in May 2014 when Neubauer and his accomplice, Matthew Rudy, deceived Anthony with the lure of cocaine, coaxing him to Rudy’s property in Pennsylvania. During the drive, Neubauer brandished a gun at the unsuspecting Anthony. Upon reaching the property, they coerced Anthony up a hill where Neubauer fatally shot him in the back of the head and torso. This chilling account was corroborated by Neubauer’s girlfriend, who later relayed the details to the FBI, as noted in the government’s sentencing memorandum.

Following the murder, Neubauer and Rudy concealed Anthony’s body, burying it on Rudy’s property. Despite multiple searches over seven years, FBI agents were unable to locate the remains until Rudy revealed the burial site himself. This confession eventually led to the recovery of Anthony’s body. Rudy, involved in the crime, received a five-year prison sentence last year for his role in the concealment.

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo highlighted the motive behind the heinous act, stating that Neubauer and Rudy acted on the belief that Anthony was collaborating with law enforcement. “Anthony Neubauer and his co-defendant 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 emphasized in his statement. “Despite the passage of time, our law enforcement partners showed perseverance and unwavering determination, ultimately bringing Neubauer’s actions to light. As a result, he will now spend the next two decades in prison.”

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo said Neubauer and Rudy believed Anthony was cooperating with a law enforcement investigation.

“Anthony Neubauer and his co-defendant 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 in a statement. “A lot of time may have passed, but our law enforcement partners demonstrated perseverance and unwavering determination, which ultimately resulted in uncovering Neubauer’s actions. As a consequence, he will now spend the next two decades in prison.”

Neubauer’s attorney, Eric M. Soehnlein, wrote in the defense’s sentencing memo that his client struggled in high school and dropped out after the 11th grade. On the heels of 9/11, Neubauer joined the U.S. Marines, where one person dubbed him “Captain America.” He had several deployments overseas, including to Iraq, where he saw combat. He later joined the Army as a ranger, and he also saw combat during deployments before he was discharged due to injuries in 2014.

Upon his return to civilian life in upstate New York, Neubauer started hanging out with Rudy and began heavily using drugs while suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, his lawyer said. He also would drink up to 30 beers a day.

According to Neubauer’s lawyer, he began working as muscle for drug dealers to fight or intimidate people who owed debts. It was against this backdrop that Neubauer murdered Anthony.

In the years after Anthony’s disappearance, Neubauer’s addiction became so bad that he was “actively using cocaine in front of the federal agents” investigating the case.

In 2019, he nearly lost his life and became paralyzed from the waist down in a shooting at a bar, per his lawyer.

U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford during Tuesday’s sentencing called the situation “tragic,” a courtroom report from the Buffalo News said.

Neubauer’s defense attorneys were asking for 10 years behind bars, but Wolford said that was not appropriate even though she recognized his military service.

“It’s also tragic that Mr. Neubauer is here,” she reportedly said. “But you can’t intentionally kill somebody and expect to get a [lesser] sentence.”