Robert James Schueller, Murder-for-hire, Minnesota 2014

A Stearns County man has been charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot targeting the fiancé of his former paramour, according to a federal indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Robert James Schueller, 29, of Farming Township, Minnesota, is charged with one count of using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1958(a). He appeared before Magistrate Judge Tony Leung on [date].

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Allyn said, “This defendant is charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot. Fortunately for the intended victim in this case, the contract killing was never carried out. The FBI and Stearns County Sheriff’s Office pursued diligently this investigation, and we are grateful for their successful efforts to keep Minnesotans safe from violence.”

According to the indictment and documents filed in court, Schueller was engaged in an extramarital affair with R.T., an employee of Nomad Pipeline Services, between May 2013 and August 2013. After R.T. ended the relationship, Schueller tried to reignite the relationship but was rebuffed.

Schueller, the President of Nomad Pipeline Services, allegedly contacted another employee, W.E., and asked him to hire someone to murder C.A., R.T.’s fiancé. On February 6, 2014, Schueller asked W.E. if he maintained contact with anyone from prison, and when W.E. answered in the affirmative, Schueller told him that he wanted to hire someone to murder C.A.

On February 13, 2014, W.E. pretended to have identified a former prison associate who may be willing to murder C.A. for Schueller. Sometime in March 2014, Schueller sent a package to W.E. containing $10,000 in cash and two of his own business cards, on which he had written C.A.’s name and information about where C.A. worked.

On May 2, 2014, W.E. called Schueller and told him that he was unable to find someone to carry out the murder. After the phone call, Schueller texted W.E., “burn those business cards.” W.E. subsequently returned the $10,000 to Schueller.

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