Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-for-Hire and Obstruction of Justice Charges

Shocking revelations unfold in a fraud case as Alexander Leszczynski attempts to orchestrate a sinister plot from jail.

Tampa, Florida - Alexander Leszczynski, a 24-year-old resident of North Redington Beach, has pleaded guilty to charges of murder-for-hire and obstruction of justice, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Leszczynski, who controlled a fictitious corporate entity, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count. A sentencing date is yet to be determined.

Court documents reveal that on October 7, 2020, Leszczynski filed a warranty deed with the Pinellas County Clerk of Court, fraudulently attempting to transfer a property in Redington Shores, Florida, from its rightful owners (referred to as Victim 1 and Victim 2) to his fictitious company, Aura, Inc.

In April 2022, a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida indicted Leszczynski on multiple fraud charges, including those related to the property owned by Victim 1 and Victim 2, in the case of United States v. Alexander Leszczynski, 8:22-cr-155-MSS-SPF. Following his arraignment on May 17, 2022, Leszczynski was ordered to be detained, and his fraud trial was scheduled for October with United States District Judge Mary S. Scriven. Both Victim 1 and Victim 2 were set to testify against Leszczynski in the trial.

Startling developments unfolded in August 2022 when the FBI discovered that Leszczynski, while incarcerated at Pinellas County Jail, had been actively seeking a hitman to murder Victim 1 and Victim 2. During conversations with a confidential informant, Leszczynski disclosed that he had $45,000 hidden at his residence, which he intended to use as payment for the victims' deaths. Additionally, he stated that the charges against him would need to be dropped if the victims were eliminated. The confidential informant agreed to connect Leszczynski with a supposed hitman, who was an undercover agent.

On September 8 and 9, 2022, Leszczynski engaged in conversations with the undercover agent, divulging critical information such as the names, addresses, physical descriptions, and approximate ages of Victim 1 and Victim 2. He even provided details to help the undercover agent locate photographs of the victims online. During the discussions, Leszczynski negotiated a price and settled on paying $30,000, repeatedly affirming his desire for the victims' demise.

The investigation into this shocking case involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Shauna S. Hale and Samantha J. Newman leading the prosecution.

The revelation of Leszczynski's murder-for-hire plot has sent shockwaves through the community and highlights the extent to which some individuals will go to evade justice. As the legal proceedings continue, authorities remain committed to ensuring that justice is served and the safety of the victims is protected.

Shelby County Grandmother Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Conspiring in Murder-for-Hire Scheme

BIRMINGHAM—A federal judge today sentenced a Columbiana woman to nine years in prison for conspiring with her daughter to hire someone to kill the daughter’s ex-husband, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Maley.

U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Barbara Louise Patterson, 64, for plotting the murder-for-hire with her daughter, Kimberly Dawn McGuffie, in 2009 so that McGuffie could get custody of two children. The plan was to hire someone to murder Patterson’s former son-in-law with a poison cocktail of prescription medication supplied, in part, by Patterson. The judge ordered Patterson to be taken immediately into custody.

A federal jury convicted Patterson of the conspiracy in February. McGuffie, 44, of Calera, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy in December and admitted she had conspired with her mother in the murder-for-hire scheme. McGuffie did not testify in her mother’s trial. Judge Kallon sentenced McGuffie in May to 10 years in prison.

“The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI came together in this case to work on information from an informant and stopped a plot from becoming a murder,” Vance said. “If this mother and daughter had allowed the child custody dispute at the base of this case to be worked out in court, they could be with the children they love, not locked inside a prison,” she said.

“I want to thank the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI agents assigned to this investigation,” Maley said. “Thanks to their efforts, Ms. Patterson’s murderous plot was foiled, and she has been brought to justice for her crimes.”

The jury that convicted Patterson found that she supplied her daughter with tablets of the prescription drug Lexapro for use in a deadly cocktail intended for Patterson’s former son-in-law. Lexapro is a medication used to treat depression. According to testimony, Patterson called her doctor’s office on July 23, 2009, requested a prescription for Lexapro, and picked up 14 sample tablets, which she gave to her daughter.

According to court testimony, McGuffie and Patterson drove to a location near Columbiana in August 2009 to meet an acquaintance to again try to enlist him to help them kill the ex-husband. On September 8, 2009, the man, who had become a confidential informant to police, told McGuffie he had found someone to do the job and would introduce her to him that night.

Later that evening, McGuffie drove to a shopping center parking lot in Calera where she met an undercover officer posing as the hitman. She gave the hitman a small bag containing Lexapro, methadone, and Xanax, plus a key and a hand-drawn map to her ex-husband’s home. She also wrote the man a $1,000 check to cement her agreement to pay him for the murder.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Simpson.

Tea Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Plus 10 Years for Sex Trafficking of a Child by Force and Solicitation to Murder a Federal Witness

SIOUX FALLS, SD—Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Tea, South Dakota man who pled guilty to sex trafficking of a child by force and solicitation to murder a federal witness was sentenced on Friday, April 15, 2011. Brandon Quincy Thompson appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier and was sentenced to life imprisonment on Count 12 (sex trafficking of a child by force) and 120 months for Count 19 (solicitation to murder a federal witness) of the second superseding indictment, to be served consecutively, a $5,000 fine, and a $200 assessment to the Victim Assistance Fund.

Thompson was originally indicted for sex trafficking of children, transportation of children for criminal sexual activity, and obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement by a federal grand jury on December 1, 2009. A second superseding indictment was filed October 5, 2010, charging Thompson with 21 separate counts, including sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; transportation of children for criminal sexual activity; solicitation to murder a federal witness; obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement; sexual exploitation of a child; transportation of child pornography; possession of child pornography; possession of firearm in relation to federal crime of violence; fraudulent use of Social Security number; and aggravated identity theft. He pled guilty on November 16, 2010.

As part of his plea, Thompson admitted that he knowingly trafficked a person he knew to be a juvenile to customers willing to pay to engage in commercial sex acts with that juvenile. He knew force, fraud, or coercion was used to cause the juvenile to engage in the sex acts. He also received a portion of the proceeds from those sex acts.

Thompson also admitted that between February 1, 2010, and April 6, 2010, while he was housed at the Minnehaha County Jail, he solicited another person to murder someone in an effort to prevent that person from testifying against him in his case.

“Today marks the transformation of Brandon Thompson from sex trafficker to federal prisoner. His days of exploiting girls and young women are over.” U.S. Attorney Johnson said. “This investigation was truly a joint effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. I want to commend the officers and agents who worked so hard for justice in this case, as well as the victims whose fortitude and courage helped us unravel the details of this appalling crime.”

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tea Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Koliner prosecuted the case.

Thompson was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshal.

Portsmouth Man Convicted for Hiring Friend to Murder Ex-Wife

NORFOLK, VA—Larry Lingenfelter, 40, of Portsmouth, Va., was convicted today by a Norfolk federal jury on murder-for-hire charges. After a six-day trial, Lingenfelter was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and two counts of murder-for hire.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after the verdicts were accepted by United States District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Lingenfelter faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and 10 years for each murder-for-hire count. Lingenfelter will be sentenced on May 18, 2011.

“Mr. Lingenfelter tried to settle a custody battle by hiring a friend to murder his ex-wife,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “Thanks to the good work of law enforcement and the jury’s verdict today, he will be held accountable for his failed plans and his wife and daughters will be protected.”

Lingenfelter was indicted on Sept. 22, 2010, on three counts relating to his scheme to murder his ex-wife in order to avoid paying child support and to obtain custody of his triplet daughters. According to court records and evidence at trial, Lingenfelter hired his childhood friend Joseph Frampton to kill his ex-wife, the mother of his young triplet daughters. The agreement was for Lingenfelter to pay Frampton for committing the murder through inflated invoices for home improvement work done to Lingenfelter’s Portsmouth home. From March until June of 2010, the pair sought opportunities in Virginia and Texas for Frampton to commit the murder. Twice, Lingenfelter provided money to Frampton to travel to Texas to kill the mother, who was serving in the United States Army at Ft. Hood.

Joseph Frampton pled guilty to murder-for-hire on Nov. 4, 2010, and will be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2011.

This case was investigated by the Norfolk office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Portsmouth, Virginia and Harker Heights, Texas police departments. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Haynie and Special Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Fitzwater prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

This article was sponsored by Police Books.

Murder-for-Hire

Springfield Area Man Convicted in Murder-for-Hire Plot


March 24, 2010 - Alexandria, VA — Mirwais “Omar” Mohamadi, a twenty-eight-year-old man from the Springfield area of Fairfax County, was convicted today of two counts of Armed Robbery, two counts of Using a Firearm in the Commission of an Armed Robbery, one count of Solicitation to Commit Murder-for-Hire, one count of Murder-for-Hire, and two counts of Witness Tampering by a federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia. United States District Court Judge Liam O’Grady scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2010. Mohamadi faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 125 years.

The evidence presented at trial showed that on May 26 and 27, 2007, Mohamadi solicited a prostitute using the Craig’s List website. After convincing the prostitute to accompany him to nightclubs in Washington, DC, Mohamadi robbed the prostitute at gunpoint. Mohamadi fled the scene and hailed a taxicab in the Dupont Circle area. After taking the taxicab back to an apartment complex in the Landmark area of Alexandria, Mohamadi robbed the taxicab driver at gunpoint. While awaiting trial in the City of Alexandria for the armed robbery of the taxicab driver, Mohamadi solicited two inmates to find and murder the taxicab driver. Mohamadi also convinced a witness in the state trial to provide perjured testimony.

“Mohaomadi was a violent criminal and committed extraordinarily brazen crimes in an attempt to obstruct the criminal justice system,” said United States Attorney Neil MacBride. “This prosecution has removed a dangerous predator from the streets of our community.”

“All of us in law enforcement take it personally when someone threatens to kill a witness so that their crime can go unpunished,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rich Marianos. “Thanks to the dedicated efforts of ATF agents, Alexandria Police and Sheriff’s Detectives, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office a murder-for-hire plot was disrupted, and no harm came to the witness.”