Man Sentenced for Trying To Pull Off Murder-for-Hire Scheme

(RepublicanPress.org) – On October 6, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that US District Judge Mary Scriven sentenced Alexander Leszczynski to more than a dozen years behind bars for fraud. According to the court, the defendant used a fake religious organization to scam $1.3 million in PPP loans from the government in 2022 — and that was only one of three fraud schemes he perpetrated. While in prison, his crimes continued. However, this time, it could’ve become deadly.

On November 13, the Florida US Attorney’s Office issued a press release stating US District Judge James Moody, Jr. sentenced Leszczynski to 17.5 more years in prison for attempting to hire a hitman to take out the owners of a house he tried to fraudulently transfer using the name of a fake charity. According to court records, the FBI was made aware of Leszczynski’s murder plot attempt in August 2022 when the confidential informant he approached told the agency of his plan.

A Florida man, already convicted on fraud charges, was sentenced Monday to more than 17 years behind bars in connection with a murder-for-hire plot, officials said. https://t.co/rKpxVr3yLY

— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 14, 2023

The attempted murders were in retaliation for the property owners in the fraud case trying to correct the warranty deeds on their properties. Leszczynski had created fake deeds, naming himself as the owner to steal 10 properties worth over $300,000. When the owners found out, they worked to fix the errors, becoming the fraudster’s target.

Posing as an actual hitman, an undercover agent contacted the suspect who said he wanted to kill two people. He gave the agent the targets’ descriptions, addresses, and names, stating he would pay $30,000 for the hits. Months later, he pleaded guilty to the murder-for-hire crime and fraud charges but withdrew his plea for the hitman plot. He re-entered that plea in June.

The new sentence that exactly matches the fraud sentencing will not be served at the same time but rather back to back. Leszczynski’s total time in federal lock-up will thereby total 35 years.