Most people have heard about the scam when someone calls and pretends to be a relative in jail needing money. The three-man crew in this true crime cuts out the theatrics and just wants money or harm will come to those you love.
Through a social media app, a man received a message to pay $10,000 per month to be left alone. The next message said,
“Pay me, or I’m going to touch something deeper, something close to you.”
The next message referenced a friend of the intended target, whose murder remained unsolved.
The criminal purchased a tracking device and activated a tracking account. They deployed the tracking device on the victim’s vehicle. The crew followed the victim and his girlfriend.
They followed him as he drove his young daughter from her ballet class to her mother’s home. As he parked, they shot at his vehicle. He yelled, “My daughter is in the car!” The young father didn’t survive his injuries, his daughter survived.
Two of the crew members who were in the vehicle at the time of the shooting pleaded guilty to their role in the murder. A judge sentenced the 36-year-old co-conspirator to five years in prison without parole. The same judge sentenced the 36-year-old co-conspirator to 15 years in prison without parole. The judge also ordered both men to pay $19,000 to the family for funeral and burial expenses.
The 36-year-old crew leader went to trial. A jury found him guilty of cyberstalking resulting in death, and a felon in possession of a firearm. The judge sentenced him to life in prison plus 15 years. The judge also ordered him to pay a portion of the payment to the family for funeral and burial expenses.
Source: U.S. District Court, U.S. Department of Justice