Fiat Heir Kidnapped By Transgender Prostitute? Lapo Elkann Wants To Put Fake Kidnapping Scheme Behind Him, Lawyer Says

An heir to the Fiat fortune, who made a false report in November that he’d been kidnapped by a transgender prostitute, will not be charged, officials said. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Wednesday that Lapo EIkann, the great-great grandson of late Fiat patriarch Gianni Agnelli, who made the false claim to get ransom money, would not be prosecuted. He provided no further details.

EIkann, 39, allegedly swindled his family while partying in New York City and demanded $10,000 "to guarantee his safety." He came up with the fake abduction after running out of money during a drug-filled party where he met up with a 29-year-old man from an escort website, a law enforcement source said. He told New York City police he had been held hostage at a Manhattan apartment for more than 24 hours, BBC News reported.

Elkann was then found outside a public housing complex in New York. He was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for the false kidnapping report. Shortly after, he was released and was due in court Wednesday before the prosecution dropped the case.

A U.S. defense lawyer for Elkann, Randy Zelin, said his client was grateful justice had prevailed, according to Reuters. "The district attorney's office conducted a thorough and exhaustive investigation and determined my client had not done anything criminally," Zelin said.

Zelin said Elkann wanted to leave the incident behind him and move on. "I want the wind at his back," Zelin said. "Look at him as the creative, brilliant and philanthropic person that he is."

Elkann and his older brother, Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann, are the heirs to Italy's biggest industrial dynasty. Their great-great grandfather, Agnelli, founded Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, or Fiat, in 1899. Elkann, who is known for his luxurious lifestyle, no longer holds a position at Fiat. He is on the board of directors at luxury carmaker Ferrari, one of the companies owned by his family.

"Today's decision is so heartening and reinforces the faith I have always placed in American justice," Elkann said in a statement. "I'm clear in my determination to continue to work on myself," he said.