PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. — A South Florida man was criminally charged after he tried to hire a hitman to kill his ex-girlfriend's lover, prosecutors say.
The plot began in September when 43-year-old Ryan Hadeed of Pembroke Pines mailed a letter to an intended hitman, the district attorney's office said.
"I need someone eliminated. I've been told you can arrange that. $10,000 All in case and upfront. Person located in Tampa," the first letter allegedly read.
Prosecutors say Hadeed sent two other missives instructing the intended hitman to signal he'd accepted the job by posting marked sheets of paper on his store-front window, "among other things."
On Nov. 10, the would-be hitman got a final letter from Hadeed that included a description and pictures of the man Hadeed wanted killed, along with the man's home address and likely travel schedule, an affidavit said. And, the final letter included a deadline for the murder.
Also inside the envelope was $10,000 in cash, prosecutors say.
The district attorney's office says Hadeed left the country on a one-way ticket the same day the hitman got the money and photos of the targeted man.
Law enforcement found out about the plan, however. Prosecutors say more evidence of the crime was found when Hadeed went through Customs when he returned from his international trip.
He was arrested on Dec. 22 by law enforcement.
The targeted man, who is still alive, is romantically involved with Hadeed's former girlfriend, the affidavit says.
Hadeed is charged with one count of using the U.S. mail system in the commission of murder for hire. He is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 29 in Fort Lauderdale.
