Husband tried hiring undercover agent to kill his wife and her new boyfriend, feds say
A man tried hiring a “killer,” who was really an undercover FBI agent, to murder his wife and her new boyfriend, federal prosecutors said.
Mohammed Chowdhury, 46, of Boston told undercover agents, acting as the hired killer and their associates, that he wanted them to rob and beat the pair so authorities wouldn’t suspect him, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Now Chowdhury faces a murder-for-hire charge after his arrest on Jan. 17, the office announced in a Jan. 18 news release.
The FBI arrested Chowdhury immediately after he gave one undercover agent, who he thought was an associate, a down payment of $500 for the murders on Jan. 17, court documents show.
In a subsequent interview with the FBI, Chowdhury admitted he was paying to “punish” his wife and her boyfriend and initially denied that his plans for punishment entailed murder, according to an affidavit.
McClatchy News contacted Chowdhury’s attorney for comment on Jan. 18 and didn’t immediately receive a response.
More on the case
The FBI was alerted to Chowdhury by an individual described as a “confidential source” in charging documents. Initially, Chowdhury had already paid someone to kill his wife — but that person stole his money and never did so, the source told the FBI, according to the affidavit.
Afterward, Chowdhury told the source that “he needed the murder done as soon as possible” and was willing to rob a store to get money for his plan, the affidavit states.
By late November, the FBI used an undercover agent to act as a “contract killer” and message Chowdhury after getting his phone number from their source, according to investigators.
Chowdhury is accused of telling this agent that his wife causes issues and won’t let him see their children, the affidavit says.
Throughout December and January, Chowdhury met with undercover agents to solicit their help in killing his wife and the boyfriend she had left him for, according to prosecutors.
On one occasion, he asked the group “so how we gonna disappear his, uh, body?” and made it clear that he wanted “no evidence” left behind, prosecutors said.
Then, he gave them photos of his wife and her boyfriend, told them where they lived and what their work schedules were like, according to the release.
When one agent said the job would cost $10,000 per murder, Chowdhury is accused of saying, “I thought it was going to be cheaper,” the affidavit says.
He then agreed to pay $4,000 for each killing and $500 as a down payment, prosecutors said.
On Jan. 17, Chowdhury met with two undercover agents in a parking lot in Dorchester, handed over the $500 and was arrested on the spot, the affidavit says.
While being interviewed by the FBI, Chowdhury said that he was a good person under mental stress and that his “wife had caused him pain and ruined his life,” according to the affidavit.
When an agent said he should “just tell the truth,” Chowdhury admitted the $500 was a down payment in connection with his murder-for-hire plot, investigators said.
If convicted on the murder-for-hire charge, Chowdhury could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, according to prosecutors.
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Husband tried hiring undercover agent to kill his wife and her new boyfriend, feds say."
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