Woman Charged in Trying To Hire Hit Man To Kill Lover's Wife
Chicago (CBS) - A Des Plaines woman is accused of contracting a "dark-web" company to murder the wife of a man with whom she had an affair, according to DuPage County State's Attorney Robert B. Berlin and Woodridge Police Chief Brian Cunningham.
31 year old Tina Jones appeared at bond hearing this morning. Judge George Bakalis set the bond at $250,000.
Jones is being charged with one count of Solicitation of Murder for Hire, which is a Class X Felony.
The Woodridge Police Department received a tip that a woman in Woodridge was the subject of an alleged murder for hire plot on April 12, 2018.
The investigation was conducted by the Woodridge Police Department.
It is alleged that in January 2018, Jones paid the dark-web company more than $10,000 via bitcoin to have the woman murdered.
Jones turned herself in to authorities yesterday.
"The charge brought against Mrs. Jones this morning is extremely serious," Berlin said. "Any attempt, or perceived attempt, to bring physical harm to another individual will be met by the full force and effect of the law. I would like to thank the Woodridge Police Department for their outstanding work in identifying the suspect in this case as well as the Naperville Police Department for their assistance. I would also like to thank Assistant State's Attorney Adam Frahm for his work in securing the charges against Mrs. Jones."
"I would like to thank the Naperville Police Department and the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office for their assistance and guidance during this investigation," Cunningham said. "In recent years, law enforcement has seen a dramatic increase in the use of the dark web as it relates to criminal activity. This case is a great example of how increased training, shared resources and interagency cooperation helped protect one of our residents."
Jones' next court appearance is scheduled for May 15, 2018, for arraignment in front of Judge George Bakalis.
If convicted, she faces a minimum sentence of twenty years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Additional conditions of Bond for Jones, should she post, include surrendering of her passport and no contact with the victim or her family.
A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government's burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
