Benzinga - In a shocking case that unfolded in New Jersey, John Michael Musbach has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison for engaging in explicit exchanges with a 13-year-old and attempting to hire a hitman using 40 Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) to murder the teen before they could testify against him in court.
What Happened: According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the ordeal began in the summer of 2015 when Musbach traded explicit images with the young victim from New York.
Concerned parents alerted the authorities, leading to Musbach’s identification. He resided in Galloway, Atlantic County, just a short distance from Atlantic City.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office arrested Musbach in March 2016 on charges of possession of child pornography.
In May 2016, he used the dark web to connect with an individual he believed to be a hitman. Determined to eliminate the victim as a witness, Musbach sought their murder and transferred 40 bitcoins, equivalent to $20,000 at the time and valued at a staggering $1.2 million today, to the presumed hitman’s account.
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Why It Matters: Days passed, and Musbach grew anxious, repeatedly inquiring about the progress of the planned crime. The hitman then revealed the entire scheme as a scam and threatened to expose Musbach to the authorities if he reported the incident.
However, In February 2023, Musbach pleaded guilty to the murder-for-hire charges.
On Wednesday, he received a sentence of 78 months (six and a half years) in prison, along with three years of supervised release. Additionally, Musbach was ordered to pay a fine of $30,000.
Price Action: At the time of writing, BTC was trading at $30,846, up 1.55% in the last 24 hours, according to Benzinga Pro.
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