In a shocking revelation on the dark web, Bitcoin played a chilling role in a sinister plot masterminded by an American woman from Nevada.
Intent on carrying out an evil act, Kristy Lynn Felkins, a 38-year-old woman from Nevada. sought the services of a contract killer to execute a deadly plan against her ex-husband.
The chilling narrative began in 2016 when Felkins initiated communication with an entity she believed to be a contract killer on a dark web platform.
Unbeknownst to her, the website was a front, a scam that preyed on unsuspecting customers seeking sinister services. The alleged hit man, operating under pseudonyms, lured Felkins into a web of deception, promising to execute the vile act in exchange for $5,000 worth of Bitcoin.
Bitcoin and the Plot Horrible Details
In her guilty plea, Felkins admitted that her intentions went beyond simply eliminating her ex-husband. She expressed disregard for the well-being of her ex-husband’s new partner, callously ignoring any harm that might befall her during the planned murder.
Further investigation revealed Felkins’ chilling motive: she hoped to claim a substantial life insurance payout following the death of her ex-husband, adding an unsettling financial incentive to her sinister plot.
Her plan seemed all too real to Felkins when she asked if the hitman could make the murder look like a random act of violence, a mugging gone wrong. This disturbing question reflected a cold and calculated mind, driven by the desire to escape suspicion and evade the clutches of justice.
Felkins’ Guilty Plea and Confession
As legal proceedings unfolded, Felkins eventually pleaded guilty to one count of murder-for-hire, seeking to avoid a lengthy trial that could expose her evil intentions.
To secure a more lenient sentence, she struck a deal with federal prosecutors, confessing to her evil plans.
A US District Court judge in California has returned a verdict, bringing a measure of justice to this chilling saga. Felkins was sentenced to five years for her role in the attempted murder-for-hire plot. However, this case highlights the dark and alarming convergence of anonymity and bitcoin in the depths of the Internet, posing a significant threat to our digital society.
Law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity experts remain vigilant, acknowledging that this is just one spooky peek into the dark web abyss.
Not the First Murder-for-Hire Crypto Case
As revealed by the FBI in May 2021, Nelson Replogle, a citizen residing in the state of Tennessee, recorded a payment with Bitcoin to hire a hitman through a web portal, which received the funds and data associated with the potential victim to perpetrate the scheduled crime.
In August 2022, the US Department of Justice announced that a Mississippi woman was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years behind bars for her role in a failed murder-for-hire plot. Jessica Leeann Sledge, 40, pleaded guilty in February to hiring an alleged dark web assassin and paying him in Bitcoin to kill her now ex-husband in Mississippi.
What the discovery of these cases demonstrates is that Bitcoin and Blockchain technology are not the best vehicle to carry out illegal acts, contrary to what many critics and legislators maintain.
However, Bitcoin does provide a certain degree of anonymity, which, combined with other computer techniques, can serve to erase the traces of those who wish to keep their operations with the digital currency secret.
By Marina Meza
