Federal authorities have arrested Leo Grillo, 77, an actor and the founder of the Acton-based animal welfare organization Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals (DELTA) Rescue, on a charge of attempted kidnapping tied to a former employee who won a $6.7 million wrongful-termination judgment against him, the Department of Justice announced.
Grillo was arrested Tuesday, March 3, and is scheduled to make his initial appearance Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Attempted kidnapping carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, the former employee won a $6,680,950 judgment in November 2024 in Los Angeles Superior Court after a jury found DELTA Rescue liable for wrongful termination and other claims.
DELTA Rescue, which bills itself as the largest no-kill animal sanctuary of its kind in the world, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2025 and is appealing the judgment. Grillo also is a film actor and producer.
Prosecutors allege that in December 2025, Grillo met in Burbank with an individual to discuss the litigation and a documentary targeting his liability insurer, and asked the person to use contacts in Mexico to learn more about the plaintiff.
In January 2026, during another in-person meeting with the same individual—who was then cooperating with law enforcement—Grillo allegedly began speaking in code about a “documentary” in which the former employee and a family member would be kidnapped and held hostage in Mexico to force a settlement. He allegedly said he would pay $100,000 and wanted the woman and her child flown out of an airfield in Lancaster.
In February 2026, Grillo allegedly mailed the individual a $20,000 check from “Animals Are People Too,” with “Production” written in the memo line, and confirmed he wanted the victim put on a plane to Mexico, where she and her husband would be held.
On March 3, during another meeting in Burbank, the individual told Grillo, “They’ve got ’em,” and showed a staged photo appearing to depict the victim and a man bound with zip ties, with tape over the woman’s mouth.
After being told there was a snag and the pair had not yet left Lancaster, Grillo allegedly expressed concern their sons could contact law enforcement and wrote a $10,000 check to advance the plot.
A criminal complaint contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Butler of the Major Crimes Section and Kevin B. Reidy and Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the Major Frauds Section.
i have serious doubts about this allegation. Seems there is a lot more to this. Also, that employee that sued him, not cool. just go find another job. you literally bankrupted a massive facility that rescues dogs and saves them. sorry, but i’m siding with the owner of the facility and not the ex employee. That employee in his greed, taking 6 million in funds from an animal rescue? hope he burns in hades for that. i rescue dogs too and know the hardships and costs. this former employee and his greed may have doomed the entire facility.
You’re apparently unfamiliar with this case. It was a woman that was discriminated against, and the FBI caught the employer red-handed trying to arrange a kidnapping to facilitate an appeal of the verdict against him.
Don’t let emotion blind you to the facts.
Nice try, “KNein.” You either are friendly with the suspect or are assigning your own wild projections to the situation. Ask yourself how it is at all reasonable to “have serious doubts” about literal facts.