The US Department of Justice sentenced the 40-year-old resident of Pelahatchie, Mississippi Jessica Sledge to the statutory maximum of 10 years in Federal Prison. In 2021, the woman hired a “hitman” and paid him $10,000 worth of bitcoin to murder her husband.
Additionally, the authorities jailed the citizens of Orange County Jeremy McAlpine and Zachary Matar for luring over 2,000 investors into a fraudulent crypto scheme. The former will spend 36 months behind bars, while the latter 30 months.
Justice Served
In September 2021, American law enforcement agents received information that Jessica Sledge had hired a murderer via the Dark Web. A month later, she paid him $10,000 worth of bitcoin so he could kill her husband.
Aware of Sledge’s intentions, an undercover police officer contacted her, identifying himself as the “hitman” she appointed with the task. Following a series of recorded conversations, she confirmed the crypto transaction and its purpose.
In November 2021, Sledge agreed to meet the FBI agent she thought was the assassin, gave him an additional cash payment, and once again proved her murder plot.
As a result, the authorities had enough evidence to arrest her. According to a recent announcement, United States District Judge Carlton W. Reeves sentenced her to the statutory maximum of 120 months in jail. She will also have to pay a $1,000 fine, while law enforcement agents will strictly monitor her actions for a term of three years after she gets released.
Thanks to the accurate operation of the American authorities, the intended victim remained “ultimately unharmed.”