Telemarketing Coin Fraud Hitman Plot Foiled

A federal jury convicted Joseph Romano, 51, of Levittown, NY, of conspiring to murder the Assistant United States Attorney who prosecuted him for engaging in an eight-year, multi-million dollar fraud involving the telemarketing of coins. The jury also convicted the defendant of conspiring to murder the United States District Judge who sentenced him to 15 years in prison for that fraud.

According to the Government’s trial evidence, the defendant agreed to pay $40,000 to an undercover police officer, whom he thought was a hit-man, to kill the federal judge and prosecutor. The defendant also requested that the hit-man cut off their heads in exchange for a ‘bonus.’

‘A threat against a member of the criminal justice system, such as a Judge or an attorney, is nothing less than an attempt to subvert the system, and as such will not be tolerated,’ said U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul.

Law enforcement authorities learned of the plot in August 2012 from another inmate at the Nassau County Correctional Center where Romano was being held. During the subsequent investigation, two undercover law enforcement officers, posing as hit-men, met with Romano and co-conspirator, Dejvid Mirkovic, numerous times at locations on Long Island, including the Correctional Center.

The defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, in addition to forfeiture of over $200,000 when he is sentenced in March.

Romano’s co-conspirator, Dejvid Mirkovic, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder and was sentenced to 24 years in prison in August 2013.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Marshall L. Miller, Una A. Dean, and Brian Morris of the Eastern District of New York, under the supervision of U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul of the Western District of New York.