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One of the most fascinating news stories in South Florida just saw a significant new development. The case of Serge Nkorina captivated people around South Florida and around the world after the man’s daring attempt to kidnap and torture a plastic surgeon. 

Whodunit?

Serge Nkorina, a 56-year-old South Florida resident was recently convicted for the kidnapping, of a plastic surgeon. The plastic surgeon reportedly operated on Mr. Nkorina’s wife at some point which may have led to the tenacious and horrendous attack that followed. 

While Mr. Nkorina and his accomplice had demanded a substantial amount of money from their victim, there were more factors involved. As Dr. Nader Shehat had treated Mr. Nkorina’s wife, there was clearly more at stake.

As anyone who has followed this story would know, Serge Nkorina did not act alone over the course of this sweeping, dramatic, and buzzworthy crime. A Mr. Justin Boccio acted as Mr. Nkorina’s accomplice in the kidnapping and acts of torture. 

The fact that Serge Nkorina and Justin Boccio committed the crime is an undisputed fact. What remains to be determined, however, is how justified the act may have been. 

What Happened

Dr. Nader Shehata was taken at gunpoint at a Walmart parking lot near Dr. Nader Shehata’s practice in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The doctor was blindfolded and assaulted with a Taser which enabled his assailants to capture him successfully. 

He was taken to a storage facility in Margate, Florida. It was here that his hands were savagely burned with a blow torch and beaten by his assailants. One can only imagine the horrors of being assaulted, kidnapped, and taken to a remote facility where two men were continuously threatening and assaulting you while demanding large sums of money. 

While Dr. Nader Shehata may not have been the most innocent of victims, the fact that his kidnappers threatened him for money did little to help their case. More specifically, it did very little to help the public’s perception of the assailant and his accomplice. 

The plan backfired once the assailants ascertained that they were unable to gain entry to Dr. Nader Shehata’s domicile. Upon discovering that they couldn’t get into Dr. Nader Shehata’s personal residence, they decided to lock him in his own car and abandoned him. 

Dr. Nader Shehata’s was ultimately found locked and abandoned in his own vehicle outside of a strip club called, The Cheetah Gentleman’s Club. Imagine being locked in your own vehicle after being assaulted with a blowtorch and threatened or money. 

Most folks would not be able to come out of that experience with their dignity let alone their sanity intact. Out of all of the things to threaten and or torture someone with, a blow torch is among the most horrific. 

Mr. Nkorina’s sentencing hearing is set to take place on February 1st, 2022. The ultimate result of this hearing will have implications that go far beyond the crime itself. It all depends on who you side with and how you perceive the offense. It also depends on how you perceive the assailants as opposed to the victim himself. 

Do you sympathize with the husband and his accomplice? Or the gentrified plastic surgeon who later faced charges of his own after doing his patients a serious disservice by giving them questionable Botox injections. 

The Why

Why would a casual South Florida resident be motivated to kidnap, torture, and threaten a plastic surgeon? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Dr. Nader Shehata had been distributing mislabeled botox injections to unsuspecting patients. 

Seeing as Mr. Nkorina’s wife was a patient of Dr. Nader Shehata, one could surmise that there was more going on under the surface. As it turns out, Mr. Justin Boccio’s wife was also a former patient. 

Ostensibly, both men kidnapped the doctor in an attempt to extract money from him after a failed attempt to rob his home. Considering the fact that Dr. Nader Shehata had treated the wives of both of his assailants and that the same man had been administering mislabeled Botox injections, one gets the idea that there is still more information to be uncovered. 

The Flight

Mr. Nkorina attempted to flee to Spain in an effort to evade prosecution for kidnapping charges in the United States. His flight from the law was relatively short-lived as he has been taken back to Miami where he faces serious charges. 

Serge Nkorina was originally from Tenerife, Spain, however, he is a United States citizen and was tried as such. 

The Aftermath

Justin Boccio was sentenced to 11 years in jail on kidnapping charges while Mr. Nkarina opted to flee the country and travel to Spain. Mr. Nkorina was eventually arrested and brought back to the city of Miami, Florida via airplane in January of 2021. 

Although Dr. Nader Shehata survived kidnapping, assault, threats, and torture, he was later hit with some charges of his own.

In October of 2020, Dr. Nader Shehata was charged with distributing improperly labeled Botox injections. His Botox injections were improperly labeled which cast doubt upon their authenticity. That doubt led to serious concerns over the safety of consuming said products.   

For his part, Nader Shehata pled guilty in court and died shortly afterward at the age of 63 on April 5th of 2021. The story didn’t end there, however, news has surfaced indicating that an appeal is on its way. 

An Appeal Is on the Way

Since being apprehended, Mr. Serge Nkorina was charged with conspiring to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. The jury’s decision was not an easy one as they took 4 hours to deliberate before announcing their decision. 

Mr. Nkorina has indicated that he intends to file an appeal to fight the recent verdict. While public opinion on the man and his crimes are split, it would appear that this is not the end of this rollercoaster of a story. The people of South Florida remain captivated by the audacity of the crime and the dramatic flair of his attempted escape to Spain. 

Want to see what happens next? Then stay tuned to these blog posts from SFL Media.

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About The Author

Harrison Bryan

Harrison is an experienced writer and marketing connoisseur. Specializing in sales copy, he works with some of the most innovative names in business and is interested in the relationship between marketing and psychology. As a staff writer for SFL Media, he has a broad focus and covers some of the most exciting developments in South Florida.