Most people have probably heard of the scam where someone calls and pretends to be a relative in prison and needs money. This real crime trio will pull the trigger and just want the money or harm to a loved one.
A man received a message on a social media app asking him to pay $10,000 a month to be left alone. The message read:
“Pay me or I will touch something deeper, something closer to you.”
The next message, as intended, mentioned the subject's friend, whose murder was still unsolved.
The criminal purchased a tracking device and activated the tracking account. They placed a tracking device on the victim's vehicle. The crew followed the victim and his girlfriend.
They followed him as he dropped his young daughter off at her mother's house from ballet class. As he parked, they fired shots at his car. He screamed, “My daughter is in the car!” The young father did not survive his injuries, but his daughter did.
Two crew members who were in the vehicle at the time of the shooting pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder. The judge sentenced the 36-year-old co-conspirator to prison. 5 years in prison without parole. The same judge sentenced the 36-year-old co-conspirator to: 15 years in prison without paroleThe judge also ordered the two men to pay the family $19,000 for funeral and burial expenses.
The 36-year-old crew chief was brought to trial. A jury found him guilty of cyberstalking resulting in death and possession of a firearm. The judge sentenced him. Prison time + 15 years. The judge also ordered him to pay his family a portion of the money he paid for funeral and funeral expenses.
Source: U.S. District Court, U.S. Department of Justice