A Massachusetts lawyer was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he attempted to hire an undercover FBI agent to murder the estranged mother of his children because it was "cheaper" than alternative solutions.
Allen Gessen, 49, first came into contact with an undercover FBI agent by the target of a separate investigation into money laundering. Gessen twice met with the undercover agent, first in Boca Raton and then in New York, and told the agent that he was in the middle of a contentious custody battle with his ex-partner, Zimbabwean model Priscilla Chigariro.
"At these meetings and through a series of encrypted electronic messages, Gessen initiated plans to commit two different crimes utilizing the undercover FBI agent's connections," U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California said in a press release.
"Gessen's objectives quickly transformed from bribing an immigration official to deport his former partner to hiring someone to murder her. Gessen resolved to murder his former partner because it was a 'cheaper way to get rid of her' and was a more permanent solution."
Gessen was originally willing to pay $100,000 to have Chigariro deported but instead decided to pay $50,000 to have her killed. He also revealed to the agent that he'd previously tried to hire a contract killer but backed out because it was too expensive, according to KPIX.
Though Gessen was based out of the east coast, his trial was held in California because he wired $23,000 to an undercover agent based out of San Francisco. In addition to providing funds, he also sent the agent information about Chigariro, including her schedule and whereabouts.
In addition to the 10-year prison sentence, Gessen will also have to serve three years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley.
