Two arrested, charged for ‘interrogation’ where man was allegedly tied to a chair, threatened

TOOELE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Two men have been arrested and charged for allegedly tying up, “interrogating,” and threatening a man. They believed that the victim had told police about their involvement in cocaine dealing, documents say.

Peter Mark Brandt, 41, and Alex Thomas Bodin, 36, have been charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery. Brandt is also facing charges of a restricted person participating in dangerous weapon conduct, possession or use of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to documents, on January 26, 2025, the victim was taken to a residence on Aaron Drive in Tooele “at the request of his boyfriend.” When he arrived at the home, he was confronted by Brandt and several other individuals, including Bodin.

The victim told police that his hands were tied behind his back with a thin cord and he was sat down in a kitchen chair by Brandt. Various people were in the home and witnessed the incident, but mainly Brandt and Bodin committed the crimes against the victim.

After being seated in the chair, the victim recounted being “interrogated for a substantial period.” According to documents, Brandt and others were interrogating him about telling the police about drug deals in Tooele City.

At one point, Brandt allegedly placed a black handgun in the victim’s mouth, but did not fire.

Bodin took the victim’s cell phone and “demanded” the passcode, making various threats about what would happen if the victim did not comply, documents say. A “Flipper Zero” was shown to the victim, and Bodin made claims that it would work like a lie detector.

A confidential informant told police that they were at the residence when it happened, but had elected to stay outside in a vehicle because they were afraid of Brandt due to being threatened with a gun before. The informant told police that Brandt and others planned to confront the victim about “snitching” about drug sales.

Although the informant did not go inside, when the vehicle’s driver returned from inside the residence, they allegedly told the informant about what happened and recounted that a gun was placed inside the victim’s mouth.

Following the incident, police obtained a text message and audio recording from the victim’s boyfriend, who had sent him to the location. The victim’s boyfriend said that he “genuinely did not think that was going to happen” and that he “thought people just wanted to talk” to the victim or “scare” him.

On July 10, search warrants were served on Brandt and Bodin’s homes. A black handgun, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia were located in Brandt’s residence. The Flipper Zero was located in Bodin’s kitchen cupboard. Both men were detained and interviewed by police.

In a police interview, Brandt allegedly told police that he was with the victim at the house in January, but denied any involvement.

Bodin, in his police interview, told police that the incident was actually an intervention regarding the victim’s “violent behavior against his boyfriend,” according to documents. Bodin allegedly denied touching the victim’s phone or seeing a gun during the incident. He did confirm his possession of the Flipper Zero, but said it was used for games.

In interviews with witnesses, they stated that a confrontation did occur, and firearms were involved, documents say. A search warrant was served on the Aaron Drive residence, and cords were located that matched the victim’s description of what he was tied up with.

Both Brandt and Bodin were booked into the Tooele County Jail and are currently being held. An initial appearance is scheduled on July 21 for both men.