NYS man headed to prison for trying to hire hog farmer to kill love rival, feed him to pigs
Jeal Sutherland, a man from upstate New York, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to hire a hog farmer to kill his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend and feed him to pigs. The shocking plot, which involved offering $1,000 and a bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon as payment, was foiled when the hitman turned out to be an undercover FBI agent.
Sutherland first concocted the scheme in November 2024, using his cell phone to arrange the murder of his girlfriend’s ex-partner, with whom she shares a child. The plan involved disposing of the body at a hog farm in Pennsylvania. In a chilling turn of events, Sutherland left a Canada goose carcass on the intended target’s mother’s doorstep in January 2025, signaling his sinister intentions.
However, his nefarious plot unraveled when he was arrested on January 27, 2025, and discovered that the supposed hog farmer was actually an undercover federal agent. Sutherland pleaded guilty to using an interstate commerce facility in a murder-for-hire plot in May and was subsequently sentenced to 7 1/4 years in prison, along with a $15,000 fine.
The severity of Sutherland’s intentions was not lost on law enforcement officials. John Sarcone, first assistant US Attorney for the Northern District of New York, condemned Sutherland’s actions, stating that he would now be serving his sentence in federal prison. Craig Tremaroli, special agent in charge in the FBI’s Albany office, emphasized the disturbing nature of Sutherland’s plans and the agency’s commitment to preventing acts of violence in communities.
The case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to in pursuit of their goals, as well as the vigilance of law enforcement in thwarting such heinous schemes. Sutherland’s sentence stands as a testament to the consequences of seeking to harm others, and a warning to those who may entertain similar thoughts in the future.
