money NJ Man Tried to Hire Hitman for ‘Fifteen Bucks’ to Kill 13-Year-Old Girl, Prosecutors Say
A New Jersey man tried to hire a “cheap” hitman to kill a 13-year-old girl in Texas, federal prosecutors say.
Armando Conceicao, 57, was indicted this week on charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire and causing another to travel interstate or using interstate facilities with intent that a murder for hire be committed, the Department of Justice said in a press release.
Though prosecutors have not revealed a motive in the alleged murder-for-hire scheme or identified the intended victim, an indictment provides chilling details on the lengths prosecutors say Conceicao was willing to go to take out the teen—and allegedly her family, too, if they got in the way.
The scheme is said to have kicked into full gear in May 2021, when prosecutors say Conceicao communicated with a man, identified only as “Individual-1,” “for the purposes of having Individual-1 kill or locate another to kill the victim.”
A subsequent meeting took place where Conceicao allegedly provided “Individual-1” with a photo of the teen, along with her home address and an undisclosed amount of money meant to cover travel expenses for a visit to the area, prosecutors said. Afterward, the unnamed individual allegedly traveled to Texas on a reconnaissance mission, photographing the teen’s home and surrounding area before returning to New Jersey.
That’s when prosecutors say the two met again in November and Conceicao made clear he was prepared to go ahead with having the girl killed.
Told by “Individual-1” about a “guy” who was “cheap” and “charging 15 bucks, 10 bucks, problem solved,” Conceicao allegedly responded with “OK.”
“If we kill a little girl, it’s just one person,” the unnamed individual is said to have told Conceicao, asking, “If the whole family is there, how’s it going to be?”
Conceicao, who confirmed that the intended target was “13 years old,” allegedly responded with: “Let the girl, finish with the rest. I don’t care,” the indictment states.
“As long as the girl is eliminated, the rest does not matter,” Conceicao said, according to a criminal complaint that noted “Individual-1” was “equipped with an audio and/or video recording device” at the time of their conversation.
“He [the purported assassin] needs to do something, [he] doesn’t have to kill everyone. He can leave one hurt badly, mutilate another, the dad fucked—you understand or not?” Coceicao allegedly said.
The alleged murder scheme was never carried out, and prosecutors gave no further details on the case. A lawyer for Coceicao was not immediately available for comment. He faces as much as 10 years behind bars if convicted.
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