Woman Pleads Guilty in Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy

PHILADELPHIA—Marissa Mark, 28, of Jersey City, NJ, and Allentown, PA, pleaded guilty today to hiring a hit man to commit a murder and paying for the service using stolen credit cards, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. In September 2006, Mark was living in Allentown, PA, 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, NJ. 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. A sentencing hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter is scheduled for December 9, 2011. Mark faces a maximum possible sentence of (56 years) in prison, including a mandatory minimum sentence of two years. She was ordered to surrender into custody on October 6, 2011 at which point bail will be revoked.

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