Feds: Three wise guys nabbed before they can kidnap owner of Norwood check-cashing place

The US Attorney's office reports the arrest of three men old enough to know better on charges they were planning to kidnap the owner of Forest Hills Checking on Central Street in Norwood and force him to hand over all the money they figured his store would have.

Their plot, the FBI says, was foiled by a fourth would-be conspirator who dropped a dime.

John Salvucci, 65, of Medford, George Whalen, 55, of Winthrop, and James Chambers, 53, of Stoneham, were arrested by a joint FBI/State Police SWAT unit at Whalen's home yesterday after an investigation by the FBI, State Police and local police in Boston, Medford, Saugus, Somerville, Norwood, Canton and Malden.

In a series of recorded meetings, Salvucci told the cooperator that he, along with Whalen and Chambers, were going to rob Forest Hills Check Cashing because the defendants believed that the business carried a significant amount of cash. During these meetings, Salvucci allegedly discussed kidnaping the owner of the check-cashing business in order to use the owner to help them commit the robbery. According to the Complaint, Salvucci also told the cooperator that Whalen and Chambers would kidnap the owner from the owner’s home the morning of the intended robbery.

It is alleged that Salvucci told the cooperator that the three defendants were going to case the Norwood business on Jan. 21, 2012, in anticipation of the robbery. On Jan. 21, federal agents and law enforcement officers followed the three defendants as they traveled from north of Boston to the targeted business in Norwood. Agents and officers observed the three engage in various acts related to their gathering information about the business, including Whalen and Chambers entering the business itself.

Innocent, etc.