Baltimore County, Maryland – Stepfen Gerard Gaither, age 30, of Randallstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges for a murder-for-hire conspiracy and for interstate communications with intent to extort in connection to the extortion and planned murder of a Baltimore County restaurant owner and his partner over a debt, as well as to possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and heroin.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, Gaither was hired by codefendant Clement Robert Mercaldo, Jr. to send messages threatening victims and their families in order to extort money. During the course of the plots, Mercaldo paid Gaither to vandalize a victim’s car and set fire to a victim’s house as part of the plot to extort. Later, Mercaldo agreed to pay Gaither to murder a victim. Gaither also possessed with the intent to distribute 723 pills containing fentanyl and heroin that were marked as Oxycontin.
“Over the Spring of 2019, Stepfen Gaither terrorized a family in Baltimore County, including setting one victim’s house on fire, sending threatening messages and plotting the murder of a restaurant owner,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lenzner. “Thanks to terrific investigative work by the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department, Gaither and his co-conspirator were stopped before they succeeded in their murder-for-hire plot. Hopefully these convictions will send a message of deterrence to others who are contemplating threats and violence to advance their business interests or settle their disputes.”
Between 2008 and 2017, Mercaldo, a former restaurant owner, loaned over $1 million to the victim. The victim repaid Mercaldo until 2019, when he was unable to make further payments. As a result, Mercaldo was in significant financial distress, causing him to sell personal belongings in order to continue to pay his expenses.
Beginning in March 2019, Mercaldo hired Gaither to assist in his plot to collect the debt through a variety of extortionate means. Mercaldo gave at least $1,000 in cash to Gaither in exchange for Gaither agreeing to send threatening messages to the victim and destroy the victim’s property, with the intent to pressure the victim to repay Mercaldo.
Gaither’s plea agreement details a series of events in March 2019, including a visit to the victim’s residence, a smashed car window, and a fire at the victim’s house. Mercaldo provided Gaither with cash payments and a phone number to the victim’s restaurant, further facilitating the plot.
The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Melissa R. Hyatt of the Baltimore County Police Department.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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