A doctor from Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to over seven years in prison for trying to hire a hitman on the dark web to kill his girlfriend, federal prosecutors said on Thursday.
Dr. James Wan, 54, used his cellphone to order the murder of his girlfriend on a dark web marketplace. He gave the hitman her personal details, such as her name, address, Facebook account, license plate, and car description.
Wan paid about $16,000 in Bitcoin to the marketplace in two installments in April 2022. He also paid an extra $9,200 later because of a payment error and a Bitcoin price drop.
As Revealed in U.S. Attorney’s Office Press Release on Jan 18, Wan messaged the marketplace administrator, expressing concern that his Bitcoin payment had not shown up in his escrow account. Despite initial hiccups, Wan persisted in his plan, making additional Bitcoin payments to ensure the total required to complete the order was in his escrow account.
The dark web marketplace administrator confirmed the correctness of the new Bitcoin address, and the chilling transaction proceeded. Wan even posted on a dark web forum seeking updates on the progress of the murder order.
As the threat to the victim’s life became apparent, FBI special agents swiftly intervened, notifying the intended target, providing protection, and interrogating Wan. Wan admitted to placing the order, making the payments, and monitoring the order status daily.
FOX 5 News spoke with Special Agent Polk about the use of cryptocurrency by criminals.
It’s not a crime to use cryptocurrency. However, in using it with crimes, we have seen cryptocurrency is perceived by criminals to be more of an anonymous means of transferring funds for payment or services
said Polk
James Wan’s sentencing includes two years of supervised release, highlighting the severity of the charges. Wan had pleaded guilty on October 17, 2023, after being convicted in the case.
