Texas Woman Gets 30 Years for Witness Hit List

TAMPA, FL – Priscilla Ann Ellis, a 52-year-old woman from Killeen, Texas, has been found guilty of orchestrating a chilling murder-for-hire plot targeting witnesses who testified against her in a previous fraud case. The federal jury delivered the verdict today, capping off a trial revealing a desperate attempt to silence those who helped convict her of international money laundering and mail fraud.

United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced the conviction, detailing charges against Ellis that included murder-for-hire, retaliating against witnesses, and conspiring to create counterfeit securities. She now faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, though a sentencing date remains unconfirmed. The initial indictment came down on November 22, 2016, with a superseding indictment adding the counterfeiting charge on January 17, 2017.

The evidence presented at trial painted a grim picture. Just days after being convicted alongside co-defendants on October 21, 2016, while held at the Pinellas County Jail, Ellis began soliciting fellow inmates to locate a hitman. She wasn’t just asking; she was actively searching for someone to eliminate key witnesses who had testified for the government. Her search culminated in contacting an undercover FBI agent, posing as a contract killer. Ellis “hired” the agent to murder one witness and the mother of another, explicitly motivated by revenge for their courtroom testimony.

The scheme didn’t stop at violence. On October 28, 2016, a family member, acting on Ellis’s instructions, delivered a down payment to the undercover agent in Texas. The remaining funds were to be paid only upon confirmation of the victims’ deaths. Simultaneously, Ellis engaged in a complex counterfeiting operation, conspiring with a counterfeiter based in Nigeria. The goal? To create fake cashier’s check images, steal bank account information, and establish fraudulent accounts to launder the illicit funds – funds intended to finance the planned murders.

This wasn’t small-time. The counterfeit scheme aimed to generate several million dollars in fraudulent funds, with the money earmarked for the two contract killings and other illicit purposes. The investigation, a joint effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Austin (Texas) Police Department, revealed a calculated and dangerous plan to obstruct justice and eliminate those who stood in Ellis’s way. The FBI and Austin PD meticulously documented the payments, communications, and preparations for the planned hits.

Assistant United States Attorneys Eric K. Gerard and Patrick Scruggs, who successfully prosecuted Ellis in the original fraud trial last October, also led the prosecution in this case. They presented a compelling case that exposed the full scope of Ellis’s criminal enterprise. The conviction sends a clear message: attempts to intimidate witnesses and obstruct justice will be met with the full force of federal law. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as sentencing approaches and provide updates on any further developments.

RELATED: Dallas Woman Gets 36 Months for Bank Robbery & Carjacking in Texas

RELATED: Smuggler Adan Hernandez-Nunez Gets 50 Months for Rape, Alien Harboring