A Michigan woman has been sentenced to prison after attempting to hire a hitman through a joke website.
As reported by CNN, 52-year-old Wendy Wein came across the website 'Rent-A-Hitman' back in July of 2020, and enquired about its services. The parody site boasts "17,985 US-based field operatives" and states that it can "find a solution that's right for you".
Wein was fooled by the site, and in messages obtained by CNN, filled out a form, writing: "This is kind of weird that your company is not on the deep or dark web", and later offered the site's chief consultant, Guido Fanelli, $5,000 to have her ex-husband killed.
However, the site's owner is not Guido Fanelli, but instead California resident Bob Innes - who promptly reportedly Wein to the police.
In a press release from Michigan State Police, they confirmed that Wein had been arrested on July 17, 2020, for "attempting to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband". The press release continues: "She completed a 'service request form' on the website and requested a consultation to help her with an 'issue'."
After an undercover state trooper posed as a hitman and met with Wein, she offered him $5,000 for the murder of her ex-husband. She also provided him with an up-front $200 payment to cover any travel expenses.
Wein was subsequently arrested for Solicitation to Commit Murder and taken to the Monroe County Jail. She was charged on July 21, 2020, with Solicitation to Commit Murer and Illegal use of a Computer to Facilitate a Crime.
Fox2 reports that Wein was sentenced to 7-20 years in prison on both counts by Judge Daniel White, and that these sentences will be served concurrently.
Additionally, Wein will be credited for the 545 days she has already spent in jail.
Prior to her sentencing, Wein the court that she had recently lost eight family members around the time of contacting the website. "I am not making excuses for myself. I simply wanted to let you know where my head was," she said.
Rent-A-Hitman was first started by Innes in 2005, and he says he has been contacted many times by people looking for an assassin. According to the Michigan State Police, he claims to have presented over 130 murders, due to the fact he "refers all requests for hitmen over to law enforcement."
The site even includes joke testimonials, including one from a fake boss who thanked Rent-A-Hitman for their services, writing: "My business schedule is too busy to get my hands dirty with Human Resources issues, so I consulted with RAH and they handled my disgruntled employee issue promptly while I was out of town on vacation."
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