North Texas Woman Sentenced to Nine Years for Bitcoin-Funded Murder Plot

A North Texas woman has been sentenced to nine years in prison for an attempted murder-for-hire plot targeting her ex-husband, federal officials report.

In a groundbreaking case for Texas, 58-year-old Michelle Murphy of Bedford has been sentenced to nine years in prison for orchestrating a murder plot using Bitcoin as payment. Federal prosecutors revealed that Murphy utilized the dark web to hire a hitman to eliminate her boyfriend’s lover.

Former U.S. attorney Richard Roper highlighted the significance of the case, stating, “To my knowledge, it’s the first time this has happened in Texas, but it’s happened plenty of places all over the United States.”

Investigators uncovered Murphy’s transactions, revealing that she converted cash to cryptocurrency using ATMs on at least three occasions, ultimately transferring approximately $10,500 to the hitman’s Bitcoin wallet. The Department of Homeland Security was alerted when the recipient of the funds reported the illicit transaction.

HSI’s cyber crimes unit played a crucial role in the investigation, navigating the complexities of the dark web to track down the perpetrator.

Following her arrest, Murphy confessed to the murder-for-hire plot, driven by jealousy over her boyfriend’s extramarital affair. She pleaded guilty to one count of murder-for-hire and was sentenced to nine years in federal prison by Judge Mark Pittman.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with using cryptocurrency in criminal activities and highlights law enforcement’s efforts to combat cyber-enabled crimes.