Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times

3 charged in alleged murder-for-hire plot

OKLAHOMA CITY — Federal prosecutors on Friday charged two Ada women and an Army soldier serving in South Korea in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme to kill the man’s wife to collect a life insurance policy.

A federal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Muskogee charges Tonia Renee Mullins, 32, Regina Leila Hercules, 43, and Michael Andrew Crawford, 26, with conspiracy and use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

All three also are facing state charges in Pontotoc County District Court of solicitation of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

An informant notified Ardmore police on Sept. 4 that Mullins was looking to hire someone to kill Crawford’s wife by making it appear as if she had overdosed, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit filed in the case.

In an exchange of text messages between the informant and Mullins, the affidavit says the informant asked Mullins whether she wanted to “make someone sick or ...”.

Mullins responded: “The or ... not sick or whatever ... needs to look like an (overdose) or something.”

The affidavit indicates Mullins planned to marry Crawford after his wife was killed.

“Mullins and Crawford intended to buy a house together with $250,000 they anticipated collecting from the victim’s life insurance policy,” U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling said in a statement. “During a series of phone calls and text messages, it became evident that Michael Crawford’s aunt, Regina Hercules, was also involved in the scheme to kill the victim.”

An undercover agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, posing as a hit man, offered to kill the victim for $5,000, Sperling said.

“The agent later participated in a three-way call with Mullins, Crawford and Hercules to confirm details of the deal,” Sperling said.

The two women were arrested last week when they brought a bag of jewelry to the undercover agent to serve as collateral, Sperling said.

After their arrest, Mullins and Hercules acknowledged their involvement in the scheme and implicated Crawford, Sperling said.

The two women were being held Friday in Pontotoc County on $1 million bond. They are scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate Oct. 2 in Muskogee.

Sperling said he is uncertain if Crawford has been taken into custody.

Court records do not indicate an attorney of record for any of the three.

Pontotoc County District Attorney Chris Ross said his office worked closely with federal prosecutors to determine which court system would result in more prison time if the three were convicted. He said because federal sentences are handed down by a judge with strict sentencing guidelines, there is a greater likelihood of a longer prison sentence.

If convicted in federal court, the three face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.