Federal prosecutors claimed that a Georgia doctor paid thousands of dollars in Bitcoin to a hitman on the dark web to have his girlfriend shot to death.
Prosecutors say that Dr. James Wan, 54, of Duluth, wrote a murder-for-hire order in April 2022 through a “dark web marketplace” instructing the hitman to kill his girlfriend and take her “wallet phone and car.”
Prosecutors said that he gave the hitman the order to “shoot and go” and sent a 50% down payment in Bitcoin, or roughly US$8,000 (RM37,300), to guarantee the murder would go through.
Wan sent an administrator a message saying, “Damn,” after finding out the payment hadn’t been received. Prosecutors said, “I guess I lost US$8k” and sent another Bitcoin payment of roughly US$8,000 (RM37,300).
Prosecutors claim that the marketplace administrator verified that Wan’s escrow account received the second payment and enquired as to whether he wanted his girlfriend to perish in a “accident or normal shooting.”
Wan responded, “Accident is better,” according to the prosecution.
After learning of Wan’s “cold hearted” scheme, the FBI allegedly told his girlfriend about the hit Wan had placed on her and offered to protect her.
In a press release issued by the US Attorney’s Office on October 17, Wan entered a guilty plea to one count of using an interstate commerce facility to commit murder for hire.
When McClatchy News reached out to Wan’s defence lawyers on October 17, they did not immediately respond.
Prosecutors did not specify Wan’s medical practise location.
“When should work be completed?”
Wan sent a third Bitcoin payment of roughly US$8,000 (RM37,300) to ensure the hitman received the money one week after he sent the first one to have his girlfriend killed, according to the prosecution. This was done before the FBI foiled his plan.
Prosecutors claim that Wan then asked “how soon should work be done?” in a post on a dark web marketplace forum.
“I’ve placed an order, and I’m wondering when it will be fulfilled? How can I find out if there has been any progress? If anyone is nearby where I am? Prosecutors claimed that he wrote as well.
According to prosecutors, Wan sent another Bitcoin payment of roughly US$1,200 (RM5,595) before the FBI confronted him on May 10, 2022, when the value of Bitcoin declined.
According to the prosecution, Wan admitted to placing a hit on his girlfriend and checking the status of his dark web order during an interview with FBI agents.
Ultimately, prosecutors claim, he revoked this order.
Wan may have had ulterior motives for wanting his girlfriend dead, but the prosecution did not provide any information about them.
According to the release, he will be sentenced in this case on January 18.
