Date: Aug. 28, 2024 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Reshma Massarone, a former New York bank manager, was sentenced yesterday to 114 months in prison for plotting to hire a hitman to murder her own brother-in-law. Massarone previously pled guilty to murder-for-hire before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel, who imposed the sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The defendant devised a chilling plan to have a member of her own family murdered for the low price of ten thousand dollars. Her plan was unthinkably heartless. For this depraved crime, Reshma Massarone will spend 114 months in federal prison.” According to the Complaint and the Indictment filed against the defendant, other documents filed in federal court, and statements made in public court proceedings: Between July 20, 2023, and Aug. 16, 2023, the defendant plotted with an individual (“Individual-1”) to hire a hitman to murder her own brother-in-law (the “Victim”), in exchange for $10,000. But Individual-1 was a member of a foreign police force, and he became an undercover law enforcement agent to develop evidence against Massarone that she was plotting to hire a hitman to have the Victim murdered. Massarone exchanged with Individual-1 dozens of messages on social media and participated in numerous phone calls with Individual-1, imploring Individual-1 to murder the Victim or hire someone who would. For example, in Facebook Messenger communications, when Individual-1 told Massarone that the plan to murder her brother-in-law was set for the next day, Massarone responded that if Individual-1 “take[s] care of business,” then Individual-1 would get paid. Massarone also told Individual-1 that she had other “jobs” for him and swore on her kids’ lives that Individual-1 would get paid if he “[got] rid” of the Victim for her. After that, Massarone told the Individual-1, “No more text.” As part of Massarone’s plan, she wired $2,500 to Individual-1 to give to the hitman as a down payment for the Victim’s murder. Video surveillance at a Western Union captured Massarone counting 25 $100 bills, for a total amount of $2,500. After Massarone wired the money to Individual-1, Massarone continued to plan the Victim’s murder. When Individual-1 told Massarone that the hitman’s plan was to shoot the Victim and that there was “no turning back,” Massarone replied, “Right. No turning back.” The Victim was never murdered. As time passed and the Victim remained alive, Massarone grew impatient with Individual-1. Massarone urged Individual-1 to murder the Victim, suggesting that “rat poison can do a great job.” Massarone told Individual-1, “You is all talk and no action,” and “Come on do the thing and I will take care of you.” Massarone threatened to find someone else to murder the Victim, stating, “Either way, if I find somebody to do the job you’re going to get blame, so cut the bullshit and let’s get it done.” In addition to the prison sentence, Massarone, of Pine Bush, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hoffman is in charge of the prosecution. CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.
