Dr. James Wan, a physician in Georgia, pleaded guilty to charges related to organizing a murder-for-hire plot via the dark web paid for with Bitcoin. Wan was attempting to hire a hitman to stage his girlfriend’s death as a carjacking.
According to the DOJ, Wan went on the dark web in April 2022 to arrange the murder, providing details on the target and her vehicle. Wan agreed to pay approximately $24,200 in Bitcoin for the contract. However, his initial $8,000 BTC payment went to the wrong wallet address, requiring another transaction.
Wan grew impatient asking about the timeline, but the plot was never executed. The DOJ accredited law enforcement with foiling the scheme, stating “Wan’s cold-hearted murderous plot was averted.” Wan now awaits sentencing in January 2024.
This is not the first case involving someone using Bitcoin to hire an assassin online. In 2021, a Utah man paid $16,000 in BTC on a murder-for-hire site, and an Italian man sent €10,000 in crypto for an acid attack.
Earlier in 2022, a Nevada woman was sentenced for a Bitcoin murder plot, and a Tennessee woman was indicted for attempting a BTC hit on a romantic rival. Despite the pseudonymity of crypto, law enforcement continues cracking down on these sinister crimes.
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