Woman Gets 72 Months for Trying to Broker a Hit on a Romantic Rival

PHILADELPHIA—Marissa Mark, 29, of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Allentown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for hiring a hit man to commit a murder and paying for the service using stolen credit cards. Mark pleaded guilty September 9, 2011. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter ordered Mark to pay a fine in the amount of $1,500 and a special assessment of $800.

In September 2006, Mark was living in Allentown when she visited the “hitmanforhire” website seeking a hitman to kill “A.L.R.” by shooting “A.L.R.” in the head. She contracted a person to complete the job for the sum of $37,000. To pay the fee, Mark used three stolen credit card accounts belonging to other people and made payments to the hitman using Paypal. Mark was arrested in March 2011 at her current residence in Jersey City. The target of Mark’s alleged plot was not physically harmed.

Mark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, three counts of aggravated identity theft, attempted access device fraud, and aiding and abetting.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arlene Fisk.