Thanks to strococs for originally posting this...
FBI: Highland Heights Mafia member helped facilitate murder-for-hire plot
By Eric Heisig, Northeast Ohio Media Group
May 19, 2015
CLEVELAND, Ohio – A Highland Heights man identified by the FBI as a Mafia associate is accused of trying to facilitate a murder-for-hire plot for a colleague.
A federal complaint filed on Monday and unsealed Tuesday charges James Martino, 65, with using interstate communications in the commission of murder-for-hire. The colleague wanted a "former" family member killed for sexually assaulting a child, according to the complaint, and Martino arranged an introduction in April 2013 with someone he thought was a hit man.
But the hit man was actually an FBI informant, who helped the FBI to foil the plot.
The colleague offered $40,000 to have the killing carried out in Las Vegas, the complaint states. Martino's colleague and the informant met again on May 2, 2013. The colleague gave the informant directions to the family member's house, photographs and $5,000 in cash.
The colleague, who is not named in the complaint, was arrested in June 2013, and started cooperating. The FBI then recorded conversations between Martino, the colleague and the informant about the plot, the complaint says.
On July 11, 2013, the colleague called Martino and said the informant "is draggin" and not carrying out the hit. The complaint states that Martino told the colleague that he would call the informant.
Martino then called the informant, who assured Martino that it will happen, according to the complaint.
At a hearing Monday, Magistrate Judge Kenneth McHargh released Martino on bond and placed him on electronic monitoring. The case is expected to be presented to a grand jury.
The complaint says Martino's colleague is cooperating with the hope of getting leniency for a separate criminal case. U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Mike Tobin would not identify the colleague.
The complaint also states that Martino is an associate of La Cosa Nostra and that he spoke of connections to other members in Pittsburgh.
Cleveland's Mafia family was seriously weakened by a series of prosecutions in the early 1980s for drug trafficking and the murder of rackets figure Daniel Greene.
Ralph DeFranco, Martino's attorney, declined to comment, saying he is still parsing the case.
http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/ ... l#comments
Thanks to strococs for originally posting this...
[b]FBI: Highland Heights Mafia member helped facilitate murder-for-hire plot
By Eric Heisig, Northeast Ohio Media Group
May 19, 2015[/b]
CLEVELAND, Ohio – A Highland Heights man identified by the FBI as a Mafia associate is accused of trying to facilitate a murder-for-hire plot for a colleague.
A federal complaint filed on Monday and unsealed Tuesday charges James Martino, 65, with using interstate communications in the commission of murder-for-hire. The colleague wanted a "former" family member killed for sexually assaulting a child, according to the complaint, and Martino arranged an introduction in April 2013 with someone he thought was a hit man.
But the hit man was actually an FBI informant, who helped the FBI to foil the plot.
The colleague offered $40,000 to have the killing carried out in Las Vegas, the complaint states. Martino's colleague and the informant met again on May 2, 2013. The colleague gave the informant directions to the family member's house, photographs and $5,000 in cash.
The colleague, who is not named in the complaint, was arrested in June 2013, and started cooperating. The FBI then recorded conversations between Martino, the colleague and the informant about the plot, the complaint says.
On July 11, 2013, the colleague called Martino and said the informant "is draggin" and not carrying out the hit. The complaint states that Martino told the colleague that he would call the informant.
Martino then called the informant, who assured Martino that it will happen, according to the complaint.
At a hearing Monday, Magistrate Judge Kenneth McHargh released Martino on bond and placed him on electronic monitoring. The case is expected to be presented to a grand jury.
The complaint says Martino's colleague is cooperating with the hope of getting leniency for a separate criminal case. U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Mike Tobin would not identify the colleague.
The complaint also states that Martino is an associate of La Cosa Nostra and that he spoke of connections to other members in Pittsburgh.
Cleveland's Mafia family was seriously weakened by a series of prosecutions in the early 1980s for drug trafficking and the murder of rackets figure Daniel Greene.
Ralph DeFranco, Martino's attorney, declined to comment, saying he is still parsing the case.
http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/index.ssf/2015/05/fbi_mafia_member_helped_facili.html#comments