Germany: man charged over attempts to hire contract killer
BERLIN (AP) - A man has been charged in Germany with attempted incitement to murder after allegedly paying thousands of dollars in a series of attempts to engage a contract killer to slay the partner of a man he desired, only to discover he had been defrauded by a darknet website.
Berlin prosecutors said Thursday they had indicted the 28-year-old, who was arrested in April.
They said the suspect first tried winning over the object of his desire - who didn't return his affections and already had a partner - using 'œwitch's curses'ť booked online.
The suspect allegedly decided in February to kill the man's partner, prosecutors said in a statement. They said he registered with a site on the darknet - a part of the internet accessible only through specialized anonymity-providing tools - that appeared to arrange contract killings.
He allegedly provided the details, address and photos of the intended victim, stipulating that the killing should look like an accident or a robbery, and set a reward of $9,000 in bitcoin. He increased the sum on offer a few days later.
Two weeks after his first payment, according to prosecutors, the suspect was told online that the intended killer had been arrested but a replacement would jump in if he paid more. He agreed, bringing his payments to a total of $24,000 in bitcoin. He then complained when nothing happened.
In early April, the suspect demanded that a third contract killer be put on the case, according to prosecutors.
The following day, the website's administrator told him that he had been dealing with a fraudulent site and that he couldn't get his money back. However, he could, if he wanted, offer his own services as a contract killer and defraud prospective customers, the website administrator said, according to prosecutors.
He allegedly took up the suggestion, while still looking for other ways to hire a killer.
The suspect was identified and arrested thanks to a journalist's research, prosecutors said.