NY man offered farmer Wild Turkey bourbon to let him feed girlfriend’s ex to his hogs: FBI
An upstate New York man found himself in hot water after attempting to hire a hitman to murder his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend. Little did he know, the hitman and the farmer he approached to dispose of the body were actually working undercover for the Department of Justice and the FBI, respectively.
Jeal Sutherland, 57, pleaded guilty to the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire after his elaborate scheme unraveled. Sutherland’s target was his girlfriend’s ex, with whom she shared a child. He wanted the man eliminated as soon as he was released from state prison in January. To intimidate the victim, Sutherland sent a threatening note stuffed in the mouth of a dead goose to the man’s mother, as reported in a federal criminal complaint.
Sutherland enlisted the help of an associate who was already in prison for setting the victim’s mother’s car on fire. This associate, unbeknownst to Sutherland, was cooperating with federal authorities. The plan involved renting a van from a nun, securing an EZPass, luring the victim to a parole office under false pretenses, and driving his remains to a farm in Pennsylvania where they would be fed to hogs.
Throughout their meetings at a bowling alley and over breakfast, Sutherland and the informant discussed the logistics of the plot. The total cost of the job was set at $1,450, with $1,000 going to the farmer and $450 for the van and gas. Sutherland even requested a photo of the victim’s dead body as proof of the deed.
As the plot unfolded, Sutherland began to express doubts about the plan, particularly concerning the handling of a 200-pound body. However, the informant assured him that it would not be a problem once the victim had a bullet in his head.
The FBI intervened before the plan could be carried out, and now Sutherland faces a potential prison sentence of seven to nine years. U.S. District Court Judge Mae D’Agostino has the discretion to impose a shorter term at Sutherland’s sentencing in September.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli commended the swift actions of law enforcement in preventing Sutherland’s “diabolical plot” from coming to fruition. The case serves as a reminder of the consequences of attempting to orchestrate violence and intimidation.
