Michael Stewart, Murder-for-Hire, New Jersey 2023

State: New Jersey
Category: Violent Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/middlesex-county-man-sentenced-97-months-prison-perpetrating-murder-hire-plot" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A disturbing plot to pay a hitman to kill his ex-wife and her daughter has been foiled in New Jersey. Michael Stewart, 69, of Monroe Township, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 97 months in prison for perpetrating a murder-for-hire plot.

According to documents filed in court, in the summer of 2021, Stewart and a confidential source discussed the murder of Stewart’s ex-wife and her daughter. Stewart indicated he would pay for the murders and asked the confidential source to find a hitman.

In October 2021, Stewart met with an undercover agent – whom he believed to be a hitman – and told him he wanted the ex-wife’s daughter killed first, followed by the ex-wife. He told the undercover agent he would pay for the killings and provided him with names, addresses, layout of the victims’ property and types of cars used by the victims. Stewart also showed the undercover agent a photo of his ex-wife. He provided the undercover agent $500 as a partial payment.

Stewart, a Middlesex County man, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals to an information charging him with one count of the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder for hire. Judge Neals imposed the sentence on May 2, 2023, in Newark federal court.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Neals sentenced Stewart to three years of supervised release.

The investigation leading to the sentencing was conducted by special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Olta Bejleri of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark.

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