Jesse William Korff, 20, Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Murder a Foreign National, Sale and Smuggling of Deadly Toxins

TRENTON, N.J. – Jesse William Korff, 20, of Labelle, Florida, was sentenced to 110 months in prison for conspiring to murder a foreign national, sale and smuggling of deadly toxins. Korff pleaded guilty to five counts of developing, producing, transferring and possessing toxins, five counts of smuggling toxins and one count of conspiring to kill a person in a foreign country.

Korff was arrested on January 18, 2014, following a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI of Korff’s sales of toxins through an underground, Internet-based marketplace known as “Black Market Reloaded” (BMR).

“Jesse Korff peddled his poison in a shadowy, online network favored by cybercriminals,” said U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. “He also offered guidance on its effective use, and his sentence today appropriately took account of his participation with an overseas customer in an attempted murder plot. Fortunately, law enforcement was able to intercede before Korff could conclude his deadly transaction.”

Korff sold various quantities of ricin and abrin to international purchasers located in India, Austria, Denmark, and England. Korff smuggled the toxins from Florida to the international purchasers by concealing the toxins in packages sent through the U.S. Postal Service.

“Jesse Korff acquired abrin and ricin, potentially lethal toxins, through an underground internet-based marketplace, so they could be used for deadly purposes,” said Richard M. Frankel, FBI Special Agent in Charge, Newark. “Thankfully, with the coordinated efforts of our law enforcement partners, and the tactical and technical expertise of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, he was intercepted and his potentially deadly threats did not become a reality.”

Korff was sentenced to 110 months in prison for conspiring to murder a foreign national, sale and smuggling of deadly toxins. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI. Korff pleaded guilty to the charges on August 12, 2014.

This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section’s (OCGS) Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a nationwide program aimed at reducing gun violence and gang violence.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Violent Crime

Perez-Vega, String of Armed Robberies, Illinois 2024

Jul 1, 2024

Violent Crime

Serrano, Money Laundering, Texas 2023

Jul 1, 2013

Violent Crime

Chas F Roberts Kills Footpad, Little Rock AR, 1908

Mar 12, 1908

Violent Crime

Paul Girard, RICO Conspiracy, United States Virgin Islands 2000

Jun 17, 2024