Woman learns her fate after trying to hire 'Online Killers Market' hitmen on dark web to kill wife of man she met on Match.com



A Tennessee woman who tried to hire hitmen to kill the wife of a man she met on a dating website — and who reportedly was jilted by news of his engagement — learned her fate Wednesday.

Melody Sasser, 48, was arrested in June 2023 over allegations of a murder-for-hire plot. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Sasser pleaded guilty to using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

'I hope you both fall off a cliff and die.'

U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan sentenced Sasser to eight years and four months in federal prison. Following her time behind bars, she will be on supervised release for three years.

Sasser, of Knoxville, also was ordered to pay $5,389 in restitution to the victim.

What's the background?

In 2020, Sasser met David Wallace on Match.com, according to People magazine.

Sasser and Wallace both were from Knoxville and were “hiking friends,” according to the criminal complaint. Wallace said Sasser had helped him on a hike along the Appalachian Trail.

However, in the fall of 2022, Wallace allegedly informed Sasser that he had gotten engaged and was moving with his fiancée to Prattville, Alabama — roughly 330 miles from Knoxville.

Sasser reportedly responded by saying, “I hope you both fall off a cliff and die.”

Not long after, Wallace's wife allegedly told police that her vehicle had been keyed and that she had started receiving threatening phone calls. Sasser used an app to disguise her voice, according to the complaint.

Wallace's wife — identified only by the initials JW — said she suffered trauma from the ordeal. Court docs said she moved out of her home and into a hotel because of the threats, bought a gun, and had her husband search every room of their home to ensure there were no intruders.

In January 2023, Sasser used a dark web-hosted site known as the "Online Killers Market" to hire hitmen to murder Wallace’s wife, according to court documents.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Tennessee said in a press release, "In exchange for the anticipated murder of the victim, Sasser used the internet to transmit nearly $10,000 in cryptocurrency to the would-be assassins."

Sasser also requested that the murder appear “to seem random or accident[al]" or to "plant drugs" on the victim, according to the release. Sasser reportedly stressed that she did "not want a long investigation."

Sasser became impatient two months after she paid for the assassination attempt.

“I have waited for 2 months and 11 days and the job is not completed. 2 weeks ago you said it was been worked on and would be done in a week. The job is still not done. Does it need to be assigned to someone else? Will it be done? What is the delay? When will it be done?” Sasser reportedly wrote in a message to the administrator of the online assassin website.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office release stated, “In her communications with the site, Sasser provided photographs and location information of the victim.”

The New York Post reported that Sasser tracked the couple’s locations using an exercise app called Strava that allows users to upload the mileage and routes of their past runs.

Ultimately, the murder-for-hire scheme was unsuccessful.

Sasser was arrested following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations Knoxville and Homeland Security Investigations Birmingham with the assistance of the Knoxville Police Department and the Prattville Police Department in Alabama.

During a search of her home, law enforcement uncovered a journal listing several other hitman websites, a handwritten account of communications with the Online Killers Market, and a stack of U.S. currency with a note attached highlighting a Bitcoin address.

Federal prosecutor Anne-Marie Svolto told the judge during the sentencing hearing that the journal “was a hidden rage that she kept secret for months," WBIR-TV reported.

Sasser's attorney, Jeff Whitt, told the judge that his client suffered a "breakdown of massive proportion," and she was deeply remorseful for her actions.

"She wants [the victim] to be able to move on with her life," Whitt said.

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Texas man guilty of hiring Marines, IDF soldier for murder-for-hire plot to kill sex worker and her blackmailing boyfriend



A married Texas car dealership heir was found guilty of a sinister murder-for-hire plot to kill a sex worker and her boyfriend after they attempted to blackmail him, according to authorities. The married man allegedly hired a retired Israeli Defense Force soldier and two retired U.S. Marines to kill the blackmailers.

Erik Charles Maund, 48, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, following an 11-day trial. The jury cleared Maund of kidnapping-related charges.

Maund – an heir to a lucrative car dealership in Austin – reportedly paid $750,000 to two ex-Marines and a former Israel Defense Forces soldier to kill Holly Williams and her boyfriend, William Lanway, in 2020.

Williams, 33, and Lanway, 36, were both found in an Acura that had veered off a road, plummeted down an embankment, and into a tree in Nashville, Tennessee. The car was found at a construction site, and both victims had gunshot wounds in their heads, according to investigators.

Maund allegedly had an extramarital affair with Williams, who was a sex worker. Maund reportedly received anonymous texts threatening to expose his affair with Williams unless he paid $25,000. The blackmail texts were purportedly sent by Lanway in March 2020.

In response, Maund hired retired IDF soldier Gilad Peled to find out who was blackmailing him and paid him $60,000.

"He told me that he went to visit his son in Nashville, Tennessee, where he goes to college, and while he was there, he was using escort services," Peled testified in court, according to Fox News.

"When he came back he got a text message – a text message that was demanding money … and if he would not pay them, they will contact his family and out the fact that he was using escort services," Peled added.

Peled allegedly advised Maund to inform law enforcement about the blackmail scheme.

Peled said, "He was reluctant (to go to the police). He didn't want information to come out, says it's going to hurt his marriage. He didn't want his kids to know about it. He said it's going to devastate him if his kids are going to find out."

Peled recruited former Marines – Bryon Brockway and Adam Carey – to go to Nashville and conduct surveillance on Williams and Lanway. However, the group did not make any contact with their targets after 10 days, according to Peled.

Lanway then reportedly called Maund's home, which "freaked out" the car dealership heir. Lanway allegedly demanded Maund pay him $25,000 by 8 p.m. on March 11, 2020.

Brockway reportedly proposed to "take Mr. Lanway out," which Maund allegedly "jumped on the offer."

According to court documents, Maund paid $100,000 each to Brockway and Carey, plus $550,000 to Peled.

Peled testified that Brockway instructed him to "get rid of your phone," which he understood that he had killed Lanway.

Brockway fatally shot Lanway in the parking lot of Williams' apartment complex, and Carey murdered Williams after driving to the construction site, according to court documents.

On Nov. 17, Carey and Brockway were each convicted of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, kidnapping resulting in death, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. They both face a mandatory life in prison or the death penalty when they are sentenced in 2024.

"We are committed to aggressively prosecuting violent crime in Middle Tennessee, and I am very pleased that the men responsible for these murders have finally been held accountable for their deplorable actions," U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis declared in a statement.

Former Austin car dealer convicted of murder-for-hire plot www.youtube.com

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California equestrian accused of $2 million murder-for-hire plot, hiring hitman to kill estranged husband



A California woman is accused of attempting to orchestrate a $2 million murder-for-hire plot to kill off her estranged husband.

Tatyana Remley, 42, was arrested on Aug. 2 at a Starbucks in Solana Beach, California. The glamorous and wealthy equestrian was charged with solicitation of murder, carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle, and carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, according to court records.

Remley filed for divorce from her 57-year-old husband on July 11. The pair had been separated since May, but shared homes in Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe.

The divorce filing also reportedly claimed that her husband, Mark Remley, held a gun to Tatyana's head one time and once chased her around their $5 million California home with a knife.

Tatyana asked the court to order Remley to pay $15,000 in monthly spousal support and to grant her control of multiple assets, including vehicles and property.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, "During their first year of marriage, Mark Remley bought Tatyana about $160,000 worth of clothes and jewelry and a $30,000 truck. He also bought her a $218,000 engagement ring and a $70,000 diamond ring."

However, Tatyana was on law enforcement's radar shortly before she filed for divorce.

On July 2, police responded to a fire at the couple's $5 million home in the suburbs of San Diego. Police found three firearms and ammunition belonging to Tatyana, and charged her.

Fox News reported, "She allegedly had an illegal handgun hidden in her car and then got out with it in public." She was later released on bail.

The fire is still being investigated.

Tatyana is accused of organizing a murder-for-hire plot on her husband – who she has been married to since 2011.

The day after the fire, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department opened an investigation into her alleged murder-for-hire plot "after receiving information Remley was attempting to hire someone to kill her estranged husband."

The husband reportedly told the Coast News that a mutual friend of the couple told him in early July that Tatyana offered the friend $2 million to murder Mark.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department organized a sting operation to attempt to catch Tatyana.

On Aug. 2, Tatyana allegedly met with an undercover detective posing as a hitman at Starbucks.

"She provided detailed information on how she wanted her husband killed and his body disposed," the sheriff’s department said.

She reportedly brought money for a "down payment" for the murder-for-hire plot as well as three firearms. Officers arrested Tatyana at the Starbucks.

Remley is currently being held without bail at the Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee, California. Tatyana has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Remley is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 16.

Tatyana and Mark Remley are known for producing an extravagant horse show named "Valitar" in 2012. The "equine-human acrobatics" show was suddenly shut down after just four disappointing performances. The couple reportedly spent millions producing the short-lived equestrian show. Crew members and performers were reportedly not paid for nearly a month.

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‘Textbook Murder for Hire’: Failed Horse Show Producer Allegedly Put $2M Hit on Husband www.youtube.com

NJ Democratic operative sentenced to 24 years in prison for 'heinous' murder-for-hire killing of colleague



A New Jersey Democratic operative was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison on Thursday for the murder-for-hire killing of a colleague.

Sean Caddle, a 45-year-old former Democratic campaign consultant, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder for hire in the killing of 52-year-old Michael Galdieri.

Caddle had been confined to house arrest since he was charged in January 2022.

The Associated Press reported, "Prosecutors had requested 15 years in prison for Caddle, who pleaded guilty to murder for hire, due to his cooperation with them on numerous investigations. Caddle’s attorneys had asked for a nine-year sentence."

U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez said during sentencing, "This is one of the most unusual and certainly one of the most heinous crimes I’ve encountered as a judge. It's a coldhearted killing. He killed a friend."

Vazquez was suspicious of the plea deal, noting that Caddle had started secretly recording others before he was accused of Galdieri’s murder, which could possibly help him if he was caught.

"He was already looking to protect his own skin," Vazquez said, adding that Caddle's cooperation with the FBI was "self-serving."

"This was a premeditated and planned murder … done for a paltry sum of money," prosecutor Lee Cortes said in court. "He was so self-obsessed that he would have an irreplaceable human life ended simply for fear for his business. There's no amount of regret or cooperation that can make up for that."

Caddle's cooperation led to the indictment of Tony Teixeira, former chief of staff to New Jersey Senate president Nicholas Scutari – a Democrat. Last year, Teixeira confessed to bilking money from campaigns that he worked on with Caddle between 2014 and 2018. The pair would reportedly overcharge for Caddle's services. Teixeira will be sentenced next month.

The Philadelphia Inquirer described Caddle as a "prolific Democratic campaign consultant" and "a street-level political operative who’d made a name for himself in North Jersey politics as a consultant adept in the shadowy world of super PAC spending."

The news outlet added, "His lawyer’s statements — that his client was cooperating in that and other investigations — set off a frenzy over what Caddle might tell the FBI about the powerful politicians he’d once worked for, including U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and former State Sen. Ray Lesniak."

Caddle confessed last year to hiring two hit men to kill Galdieri – a colleague and supposed friend. Caddle said he paid $15,000 to the two contract killers in the murder-for-hire plot.

On May 22, 2014, the two hit men fatally stabbed Galdieri at his Jersey City apartment. They then doused the apartment with gasoline and set it on fire.

Caddle claimed that Galdieri had been blackmailing him. He said Galdieri had threatened to "go public about certain things he had seen, done, and heard while working for Caddle on campaigns."

Facing possible political ruin, Caddle allegedly orchestrated the death of Galdieri.

Caddle might have gotten away with the murder-for-hire killing if it weren't for a 2014 bank robbery in Connecticut. The suspects in the bank robbery, George Bratsenis and Bomani Africa, informed investigators that they had information about a murder committed earlier that year.

Bratsenis, now 74, and Africa, 62, were both previously serving time in a New Jersey prison when they met fellow inmate James Caddle – the brother of Sean Caddle.

Once out of prison, Bratsenis began working on campaigns for Sean Caddle. The Democratic operative told Bratsenis that he was aware of his "extensive" criminal history and asked if he could find someone to commit murder for $15,000, according to court documents. The hit men were paid $4,000 up front and given a month to take out Galdieri, prosecutors said.

The hit men repeatedly stabbed Galdieri in the neck, head, and torso.

For the murder of Galdieri, Bratsenis was sentenced to 16 years and Africa to 20 years.

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NJ Spotlight News: June 29, 2023 youtu.be

'Inject her with heroin': Baby doctor who hired hit men on dark web to kidnap wife pleads guilty to federal charges



A former baby doctor – who was reportedly involved in a twisted plot to forcefully prevent his estranged wife from divorcing him – pled guilty to federal charges on Wednesday.

Ronald Craig Ilg, a 55-year-old former neonatal doctor in Spokane, Washington, pled guilty to transmitting threats in interstate commerce in federal court. The felony has a maximum sentence of 10 years, but Ilg's legal team made a plea agreement to a sentencing range of 60 to 96 months.

Ilg was supposed to go on trial next month and was initially facing eight federal charges, including cyberstalking, attempted kidnapping, and tampering with a witness, according to KLXY.

Ilg allegedly used the dark web to attempt to hire multiple hit men to inflict pain on his estranged wife and a colleague.

In February 2021, Ilg purportedly utilized the dark web to try to hire a hit man to injure a former professional colleague.

"According to prosecutors, Ilg, the former chief medical director of a multistate neonatology management group, first tried to orchestrate an assault on a former colleague who he believed was involved in an internal workplace investigation against him," the Daily Beast reported. "The messages obtained by the government asked the hitman to deliver a 'significant beating' that would 'injure both hands significantly or break the hands.' He allegedly wired the service $2,000 in bitcoin as compensation."

Ilg told the hit man, "I would like to see evidence that it happened. If this goes well, I have another, more complicated job [for an] entirely different target with entirely different objectives."

The other "target" was allegedly his estranged wife. Ilg reportedly wanted to hire a hit man to kidnap the mother of his child, torture her, inject her with drugs, and blackmail her.

According to court documents, Ilg instructed the hired hit man to "stop all court proceedings" in their divorce that were pending at the time.

"Plant drugs in her home and used needles a day or so after collecting her," Ilg purportedly wrote. "So, if people start looking for her while she is detained, they will find them."

The baby doctor allegedly said, "Inject her with heroin 2 times per day. Teach her to inject herself. Send pics and videos of her injecting herself for bribery later."

Ilg allegedly furnished the hit man with his wife's complete schedule.

"By early April, Scar215 had reached out to yet another dark-web site, hoping to have his request completed by the second weekend of the month," the Daily Beast reported. "He told the site he had put $5,000 in bitcoin for them in escrow, and that another $10,000 would be coming to them the next day. He promised an extra $40,000 if all of his goals were achieved in the allotted time frame."

On April 8, 2021, the day before the alleged kidnapping plot was expected to happen, Ilg took a vacation in Mexico with his mistress.

The mistress – identified in court documents as "Witness 2" – and Ilg's wife – identified in court documents as "Victim 2" – allegedly knew each other from a prior relationship with the baby doctor.

"Ilg’s wife had told investigators that she and Ilg married in 2016, and after the birth of their child in May 2018, Ilg 'located Witness 1 on the internet and invited her into the relationship with Ilg and Victim 2,'" Law & Crime reported. "As time passed, Victim 2 increasingly became uncomfortable with the relationship," the criminal complaint against Ilg says. However, although Ilg and his wife were involved in 'contentious divorce proceedings,' she and the witness 'maintained communication with each other regarding Ilg throughout the relationship.'"

On the first day of the vacation, Ilg's girlfriend notified the estranged wife, "Some strange stuff has happened while we have been here[.] I need to talk to you asap [sic] when we get back[.]”

The girlfriend found out that Ilg had a "burner" phone. According to court documents, she threw his phone into the hotel pool because she thought he had the phone so he could talk to other women. A fight ensued, according to the girlfriend. FBI special agent and key witness Ryan Butler testified that he heard audio recordings of Ilg allegedly assaulting her.

"Butler said in the tapes, he can hear her beg him to stop hurting her, then she struggles to breathe for several minutes," KREM reported.

After the fight, the girlfriend claimed that Ilg forced her to sign a contract requiring her to "unconditionally accept what [Ilg] would like to do."

The document was later presented in a court hearing. The contract appeared to be stamped with both of their fingerprints in blood.

Upon his return from the Mexico vacation on April 11, FBI agents interrogated Ilg. The FBI had been allegedly tipped off about Ilg's dark web negotiations by BBC journalists investigating murder-for-hire services on the dark web.

Ilg reportedly informed FBI agents that he arranged the "hit" on himself. The FBI released him.

The next day, Ilg was reportedly found unconscious on his kitchen floor in an apparent suicide attempt when he ingested 46 Xanax pills.

The girlfriend would later tell FBI agents that she witnessed Ilg using the dark web. When confronted, Ilg told her that he was using it for gambling. However, she said that Ilg wasn't a gambler based on a previous trip to Las Vegas.

The Department of Justice stated, "Ilg sent a letter to a key witness against him – begging the witness to marry him so he could control whether she testified. He also offered to pay tuition for the witness’s children to attend Gonzaga Preparatory School and St. Aloysius Catholic School in Spokane, Washington. Ilg even directed the witness to destroy evidence by burning Ilg’s letter."

According to court documents, Ilg used the username of “Scar215” and the password “Mufassa$." The names may have a connection to the Disney animated movie "The Lion King."

The Spokane Spokesman-Review noted, "Investigators discovered a password for the 'Scar215' account – a play on the villainous character’s brother, Mufasa, in 'The Lion King' film – in Ilg’s biometrically locked safe at his home in Otis Orchards, authorities said. They said the password and screen name were consistent with Ilg’s 'affinity for lions.'"

Authorities said Ilg transferred more than $60,000 in cryptocurrency to alleged hit men on the dark web.

Ilg told the judge on Wednesday, "Your honor, I was a broken man. I was broken and I contacted different websites on the dark web to not only injure one of my partners, but also kidnap my wife."

Spokane doctor accused of hiring hitman to kidnap, assault estranged wife pleads guilty www.youtube.com

Man survives being shot 9 times, only for his ex-wife to allegedly plan another murder-for-hire plot



Baron Li, 48, survived being shot nine times in July, in what he says was a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by his wife.

On the morning of July 10, Li walked from his apartment to his car in Bellevue, Washington. Police say a masked assassin was waiting to ambush Li, and told an accomplice that he was "going to cap someone."

According to court documents, Li was shot in the back of the leg, causing him to fall to the ground. Li said he pulled himself behind the car door for cover from the gunfire. The masked gunman allegedly walked up to Li and opened fire. Bullets pierced his arm, legs, torso, and hip. Despite being shot nine times and suffering shattered bones, the bullets miraculously missed major arteries and organs.

First responders needed three tourniquets to stop the bleeding, and he was taken to a Seattle hospital for surgery. Li spent a week in the hospital to recover from his injuries.

"From the get-go, I was just wondering, 'Who was that that my wife sent to kill me," Li told Inside Edition. He immediately informed authorities that his ex-wife could be responsible for the near-death shooting.

"Did I know she was crazy, did I know she was capable of doing this? Of course, without a doubt," Li said.

Li and his ex-wife, Shaerin Rose Kelley, had reportedly been locked in an ugly custody battle over their disabled 6-year-old son for the past five years. Li told detectives that his son has a trust fund, a settlement from when he suffered brain damage as an infant. He told authorities that Kelley, 30, would inherit "significant funds" if she had sole custody of their son.

Police say they discovered a GPS-tracking device on Li's car, which was purchased by Li's ex-wife.

The investigation led police to two teenagers from Mount Vernon, who were reportedly hired by the ex-wife to kill Li. Earlier this month, police arrested the two 17-year-olds, Joseph Good and Quincy Mendez. They were both charged as adults with attempted first-degree murder. Good also faces a charge for unlawful possession of a weapon.

Kelley allegedly offered Good $13,000 to kill her ex-husband. Good reportedly offered his friend $5,000 to take him to Li's home and be the getaway driver in the murder-for-hire plot.

Surveillance video spotted a pickup truck at the scene of the shooting that Mendez borrowed from his father, according to court documents.

According to police, Kelley had already begun planning a new murder scheme with the teen after she found out that Li survived being shot nine times.

"Job unfinished, will need to complete unless it resolves on its own in the next month," Kelley texted Good, according to court records. Good allegedly replied, "You're sure? I'm pretty sure I finished it well." Good reportedly agreed to murder Li, but asked for partial payment so that he could pay his getaway driver.

"Their failure to kill the victim was not for lack of effort," prosecutors said, according to The Washington Post. "He was shot multiple times at close range and left to die."

Police said they obtained phone records and emails between Kelley and Good, which detailed the murder-for-hire plot.

Kelley was arrested on Oct. 8, and charged with attempted murder.

"Rather than any remorse or realization of the horror of what she set in motion when the victim survived, it appears the intent to kill the victim was unabated," prosecutors said in a memo filed with the court. "If Kelley is out of custody, then Baron Li's life is at risk."

"I hope she rots in jail for the rest of her life," Li said. Li said he is not angry at the teens, adding they just made a bad choice. "The real target's not me, I was in the way, the target's my son and I'm glad he's going to be safe now."

Li has nerve damage in his right arm and hasn't been able to use his hand.

An arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 26.

Man Survives Gunshots by Hit Man Allegedly Hired by Ex-Wife www.youtube.com