John Jefferson
Makram Khashman (Broward County Jail).
A Florida businessman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to plotting to murder a rival, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
According to new documents viewed by Law&Crime, Makram Khashman, 58, admitted that the government would have proved the case had this gone to trial. Authorities say that an undercover agent for the ATF, who was posing as a hitman, repeatedly asked if he wanted to really go through with this killing, and he repeatedly affirmed with statements to the effect of, “I don’t give a f–k” or “no problem.”
The victim was unharmed and the defendant faces up to 10 years in prison in a sentencing scheduled for Jan. 7.
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Khashman gave the agent a 50 percent down payment for a $5,000 price, gave him the target’s name and for planning purposes, gave details on this person’s life. He even suggested killing the victim through an injection.
“Khashman told the UC about a secluded location that the victim frequented,” prosecutors wrote in their press statement. “Khashman agreed that the final payment for the murder would be due when the UC provided photographic evidence that the victim had been killed.”
The defendant never relented through the initial Feb. 29 meeting and follow-up meeting on March 19.
“Before the Defendant got out of the vehicle, the UCA asked again if the Defendant was sure about the request to which he told the UCA to stop asking questions and that he was good,” prosecutors wrote about the end of the second encounter, according to court documents.
In one point during the planning process, Khashman said he was willing to do it himself.
The plot initially wound up on law enforcement radar when a person reached out to them, saying that Khashman approached with an offer to commit murder for pay.
“The (confidential informant) declined but told the Defendant that he/she knew someone who may be able to assist,” prosecutors wrote. “The CI then introduced an undercover ATF Confidential Informant (UCA) to the Defendant posing as a hitman willing to commit the requested murder.”
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