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Officials said that a Camden County New Jersey man pleaded guilty on February 2 to using cryptocurrency bitcoin to hire a hit man through a Darknet murder-for-hire site. 

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced John Michael Musbach’s guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court. He was charged with one count of knowingly and intentionally using and causing another to use a facility of interstate and foreign commerce, that is the internet, with the intent to commit a murder.

Musbach, 31, spent 40 bitcoins, the equivalent of $20,000, in 2016 on a website that offered to facilitate contract killings, officials claim. 

 U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Musbach’s guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court. He was charged with one count of knowingly and intentionally using and causing another to use a facility of interstate and foreign commerce, that is the internet, with the intent to commit a murder.

Musbach was targeting a 14-year-old who allegedly exchanged sexual photographs with him online.

According to documents filed in court, Musbach started sending and receiving explicit photos and videos with the then 13-year-old in 2015. 

Darknet murder-for-hire site

When the 14-year-old’s parents discovered the troubling internet relationship, they reported Musbach to their local police. 

In March 2016, Musbach was arrested by the Atlantic County police on charges of child pornography.

The indictment says that Musbach “decided to have the victim killed so that the victim could not testify against him in the pending criminal case.” 

For 13 days in May 2016, Musbach communicated with the admin of a Darknet murder-for-hire site. 

The website said was offering “contract killings or other acts of violence in return for payment in cryptocurrency.” And Musbach arranged for a murder-for-hire for the unnamed teen victim. 

He even asked the site’s admin if 14 was too young for a target. And he was assured it wouldn’t be a problem.

Musbach paid the bitcoin. And then he repeatedly messaged the site asking when the hit would take place.

The admin requested Musbach pay an additional $5,000 to guarantee the hit took place.

Musbach got spooked and decided to cancel the hit. But when he asked for a refund, he was informed that the website was a scam. And the administrator threatened to give Musbach’s information to law enforcement.

The murder-for-hire charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or greater.  And sentencing is scheduled for June 13.