Two motorcyclists kidnapped, robbed and left in remote area of Tooele County, documents say

SKULL VALLEY, Utah (ABC4) — A Tooele man is facing federal charges for assaulting and tying up two motorcyclists while on the land of the Skull Valley Band of the Goshute Indian Tribe.

Russell Allen, 50, has been charged with kidnapping while within Indian Country, assault within Indian Country and theft within Indian Country. He is also a member of the Skull Valley Band of the Goshute Indian Tribe.

The FBI interviewed the two motorcyclists about what had happened to them. According to court documents, the two victims told investigators that they were riding their motorcycles earlier this week on April 26.

The motorcyclists said that they ended up in the area of the Dugway Proving Grounds, but didn’t know that it was a military base. Gate guards gave them directions, and the two traveled onto the Skull Valley Indian Reservation, unaware they were on the reservation.

According to documents, both victims told investigators that they were low on fuel and unsure they were allowed to be on that land. They pulled out behind a fence while they decided to set up camp and figure out where to go in the morning.

A pick-up truck with bright headlights then approached the two, and a man yelled at them to “get on the ground.” Both of the victims got down and were told to put their faces to the ground, otherwise “they would have their faces kicked.” The man believed to be Allen allegedly told them that they were trespassing on federal Indian land and that “laws did not apply.”

According to the motorcyclists, another individual arrived at some point before both victims had their hands and ankles zip-tied together. The second individual began threatening them with a knife.

“Multiple threats were made to the men, including statements regarding putting them in a bunker for weeks or months with a jug of water or burying them in holes that they had dug for their bodies,” documents read.

Allen and the other individual then stole most of the victims’ valuables. Among those items, they reported that their motorcycles, wallets, camera equipment and even a handgun had been taken from them.

According to investigators, the other individual called Tooele County dispatch and told them that his friend had detained two men. Following this, Allen cut the zip-ties around the victims’ legs and put them into the pick-up truck.

The two victims told investigators they were told to turn off tracking on their phones. One of the victims said he thought the truck was driven at speeds over 100 mph to the remote location where they were dropped off.

After Allen and the other man left, the two victims attempted to find their motorcycles, but couldn’t find them. They then described hiking over 10 miles to the Dugway Proving Ground to ask the gate guards for help. The victims said this took roughly six or seven hours.

Documents say that one of the victims had placed an Apple AirTag on his motorcycle. This led authorities to a maintenance shed in Skull Valley. While investigators were at the shed, Allen arrived and was interviewed by one of the FBI agents.

According to that agent, Allen told him that he had spoken about the victims as “trespassers,” and “compared the seizure of their motorcycles to private apartment complexes calling for vehicles to be impounded.” Allen further stated that their property would be in the shed, then requested an attorney.

A search warrant executed at the maintenance shed revealed that some of the victims’ property was inside. The motorcycles were there, alongside a camera, firearms and survival supplies. Investigators said that several items that were taken from the motorcyclists were not in the shed, including their wallets and cell phones.

Investigators then executed a search warrant at Allen’s home in Tooele. The primary resident told authorities that Allen had been there the night of the incident and asked for a box, which he placed cell phones and wallets into. The resident shared text messages between Allen and herself that detailed the events of the kidnapping and theft.

In the messages, Allen told her that “he had prepared a bunker to keep captives in. He stated the victims were lucky this time because the police had already been called.”

Allen’s initial appearance is scheduled for tomorrow, May 1, at 1:15 p.m. He is currently being held at the Tooele County Jail.