New York City Murder for Hire Lawyer
Federal and state prosecutors treat solicitation of murder as one of the most serious charges they can bring, and the evidence they use to build these cases is often built quietly over months before an arrest ever happens. Wiretaps, confidential informants, undercover officers posing as hired killers, and recorded communications form the backbone of most murder-for-hire prosecutions. By the time a person learns they are under investigation, the government has frequently already assembled a substantial file. That reality makes early, strategic intervention the most important decision a person in this situation can make.
A New York City murder for hire lawyer who understands how these investigations unfold, how prosecutors decide to charge, and where evidentiary weaknesses tend to live is not just a courtroom presence. The work begins long before any indictment, and sometimes the goal is preventing charges from materializing at all. Jason Goldman has built his practice around exactly that kind of pre-arrest strategy, and his background as a Brooklyn prosecutor gives him a precise read on how the government constructs cases and where those constructions come apart.
New York handles murder-for-hire prosecutions at both the state and federal level, and the charging decision carries enormous practical consequences for anyone accused. Federal charges under 18 U.S.C. Section 1958 carry severe mandatory penalties. State charges can vary in structure but carry equally devastating consequences. Knowing which forum is likely to proceed, and why, shapes every early tactical decision.
What These Cases Actually Look Like: Charges, Evidence, and How Prosecutions Are Built
Murder-for-hire prosecutions in New York rarely begin with a dramatic moment. They typically begin with a cooperating witness, an informant who claims a defendant made statements expressing a desire to have someone killed, or a tip that leads law enforcement to deploy an undercover officer. From there, investigators attempt to document the alleged solicitation through controlled phone calls, in-person recordings, text messages, or financial transactions meant to simulate payment. The government frames each piece of that documentation as a step toward completing the offense.
What matters legally is whether the prosecution can establish that the defendant made a genuine, non-equivocal effort to solicit another person to commit a murder in exchange for something of value. The use of interstate commerce facilities under federal law adds another layer, and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York have both pursued these charges aggressively.
At the state level, New York’s Penal Law addresses criminal solicitation and conspiracy offenses that apply when an alleged murder-for-hire scheme does not cross federal jurisdictional thresholds. State courts in Manhattan (New York County Supreme Court), Brooklyn (Kings County Supreme Court), Queens, and the Bronx have all handled these cases. The specific charging theory matters because it determines what the prosecution must establish at trial and where the defense has room to operate.
The defense issues in murder-for-hire cases are deeply specific. Entrapment is frequently raised when law enforcement or a government agent induced the defendant to engage in conduct they would not have otherwise undertaken. The reliability of cooperating witnesses, who often testify in exchange for reduced sentences, is another central battleground. Many of these cases also involve disputed recordings where context has been stripped away or statements have been mischaracterized. Finally, incomplete or abandoned plans raise questions about what, if anything, was actually set in motion.
Common Charges and Related Offenses in NYC Murder-for-Hire Cases
- Federal Murder-for-Hire (18 U.S.C. Section 1958): This statute applies when a person uses or causes another to use any facility of interstate or foreign commerce, including phones, the internet, or wire transfers, in connection with a scheme to commit murder for financial compensation. Federal prosecutors in the SDNY and EDNY bring these charges and seek sentences that can reach life imprisonment.
- Criminal Solicitation Under New York Penal Law: New York criminalizes solicitation to commit murder even when no murder occurs, and the degree of the charge depends on the underlying crime solicited. A solicitation to commit murder in the first degree is itself treated as a serious felony with substantial prison exposure.
- Conspiracy to Commit Murder: When two or more people allegedly agree to pursue the killing and take any overt step toward that goal, prosecutors add conspiracy charges. Conspiracy counts expand the universe of admissible evidence and co-defendants, often creating complex multi-defendant litigation.
- Attempted Murder: If the alleged scheme progressed far enough that law enforcement believes a substantial step was taken toward the actual killing, attempted murder charges may be layered on top of solicitation or conspiracy counts.
- Weapons Charges: Cases involving alleged murder-for-hire schemes frequently include firearms acquisition, possession, or transfer, and New York’s criminal possession of a weapon statutes carry independent mandatory minimum exposure under certain circumstances.
- Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: In cases where financial arrangements to compensate the alleged killer are documented, federal prosecutors sometimes add money laundering or wire fraud counts to broaden the charging document and limit sentencing flexibility.
- Stalking and Harassment as Predicate Facts: Prosecutors often introduce prior threatening behavior, stalking patterns, or harassment complaints to establish motive and demonstrate premeditation, making it essential to address those records early in any defense investigation.
Why Jason Goldman Is the Right Call for This Category of Case
Murder-for-hire accusations sit at the most serious and scrutinized end of criminal prosecution. The cases attract press attention, they are assigned to senior prosecutors, and they are rarely resolved quickly. The attorney a person chooses to represent them needs to be built for that environment, someone capable of operating in the courtroom and outside of it simultaneously.
Jason Goldman began his career as a Brooklyn prosecutor, handling serious felony matters from the outset and taking cases to trial consistently. That prosecutorial background is not merely a biographical detail. It means he spent years on the inside of how these investigations are organized, how charging decisions get made, and how cooperation agreements are structured. When he moved to private practice, he brought that knowledge directly to the defense side, and he has tried over 25 cases to verdict across his career.
His practice spans pre-arrest investigations, trial representation, and appeals, which is precisely the range a murder-for-hire client needs. Some of the most important work in this category happens before any arrest, during the investigation phase, when a careful legal strategy can affect what evidence gets gathered, what witnesses cooperate, and whether charges materialize at all. Goldman has been recognized by the New York Post, Fox 5, and WABC for his representation in high-profile cases, and he has been described by the Chelsea News as having “a history of getting high-profile defendants off.” He is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the New York City Bar Association, where he serves on the Criminal Courts Committee.
His firm has represented corporate executives, public figures, entertainers, and individuals across every background who are facing life-altering accusations. He relies on a trusted network of private investigators, forensic experts, and, when necessary, crisis communications specialists and public relations professionals. In cases that attract media attention, like murder-for-hire charges invariably do, that capacity to manage the public narrative alongside the legal defense is not a secondary service. It is part of the core strategy.
What to Do If You Are Being Investigated or Have Been Charged
The most consequential decision in these cases happens at the very beginning, before an attorney is retained, before any formal appearance, and often before an arrest. If you have any reason to believe you are being investigated for a murder-for-hire scheme, including contact from law enforcement asking questions, a visit from federal agents, or a call from someone you suspect may be working with investigators, you should speak to a defense attorney before saying anything to anyone else. Statements made during this phase, even casual ones, become evidence.
Do not speak to law enforcement without counsel. This is not an instruction that applies only to the guilty. Federal agents and NYPD investigators conducting surveillance-heavy cases like these are trained to use voluntary interviews to fill gaps in their existing file. Anything you say is documented and can be used against you. A refusal to answer questions without an attorney present is not an admission of guilt and cannot be used against you at trial.
Preserve everything: texts, emails, voicemails, and any communications that relate to the persons or circumstances mentioned in any investigation. Do not delete anything. Tampering with potential evidence, even inadvertently, creates new legal exposure. Your attorney will evaluate what is relevant, what is privileged, and how to handle materials properly.
If charges have already been filed, your case will proceed through either the federal courthouse in Manhattan (the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street) or the federal courthouse in Brooklyn (the Eastern District courthouse at 225 Cadman Plaza East), depending on where jurisdiction lies. State-level charges will proceed through the relevant Supreme Court in the borough where the alleged conduct occurred. Arraignment, bail application, grand jury proceedings, and discovery all happen on different timelines depending on whether the case is state or federal, and understanding those timelines is essential to building an effective defense posture from day one.
One of the most common mistakes in these cases is engaging in any further communication, directly or indirectly, about the subject of the investigation after law enforcement contact has begun. Prosecutors monitor communications aggressively in this category of case, and any new statement or outreach can be reframed as consciousness of guilt or an additional overt act in furtherance of a conspiracy.
Questions People Ask About Murder-for-Hire Charges in New York
Can someone be charged with murder for hire even if no one was actually killed?
Yes. The offense is complete upon the solicitation or agreement itself, paired with the use of interstate commerce facilities or, at the state level, upon the act of solicitation regardless of whether the intended victim was ever harmed. The alleged plot does not need to succeed or even progress far for charges to be filed. Federal prosecutors routinely bring murder-for-hire charges in cases where an undercover officer was the supposed “hired killer” and the target was never at any real risk.
What is the difference between entrapment and a legitimate undercover operation?
Entrapment is a recognized defense, but it has a specific legal meaning. To establish entrapment, a defendant must show that law enforcement induced them to commit a crime they were not predisposed to commit. The key distinction is predisposition: if the government can show the defendant was already inclined toward this conduct before any government contact, the entrapment defense fails. Evaluating whether the facts support an entrapment theory requires a close analysis of every interaction between the defendant and any government agent or informant.
How does a confidential informant affect a murder-for-hire case?
Confidential informants are central to how many of these cases are built, and they are also among the most vulnerable components of a prosecution. Informants often receive benefits in exchange for their cooperation, reduced sentences, dismissal of pending charges, or financial payments. Defense counsel has the right to expose that relationship and challenge the informant’s credibility. An informant who was themselves involved in criminal conduct, who has a history of lying to law enforcement, or who stood to gain substantially from implicating the defendant presents significant cross-examination opportunities.
Will these charges appear in federal court or state court?
That depends on the specific facts. Federal jurisdiction under the murder-for-hire statute typically requires use of interstate commerce facilities, such as a phone call, wire transfer, or email. Cases that involve entirely local communications and no financial crossing of state lines may be charged under state law. In practice, when federal authorities are involved in the investigation, federal charges are common. Your attorney needs to analyze the charging document carefully because the forum has major implications for sentencing exposure, evidentiary rules, and the structure of any potential resolution.
What role do recorded communications play in these cases?
Recordings are often the centerpiece of a murder-for-hire prosecution. They may include wiretapped phone calls, body-worn device recordings made by an undercover officer or cooperating witness, or recorded in-person meetings. The defense strategy with recordings is multi-layered: challenging how the recording was obtained (whether proper legal authority existed), challenging the accuracy of any transcripts or translations, and placing the recorded statements in their full context. Statements taken in isolation often read very differently when the full conversation is heard.
Can a murder-for-hire charge be reduced to a lesser offense?
Depending on the facts, the strength of the evidence, and the specific charges filed, there may be paths to resolving a case short of a murder-for-hire conviction. This could include pleading to a lower-level solicitation offense, a conspiracy charge at a lower tier, or another offense that reflects a different characterization of the conduct. Whether any reduction is available and strategically appropriate depends entirely on the case-specific facts, the jurisdiction, and the posture of the prosecution. No general answer substitutes for a case-by-case analysis.
How does the government prove the “value” element required for a federal charge?
The federal murder-for-hire statute requires that the solicitation be in exchange for something of pecuniary value. Courts have interpreted this broadly to include not just cash payments but promises of money, future financial benefits, drugs, and other tangible compensation. In some cases, prosecutors have attempted to argue that non-monetary benefits qualify. Defense counsel will scrutinize whether the alleged agreement involved the kind of compensation the statute actually requires, and whether the evidence of any exchange is genuine or the product of a staged government scenario.
What happens to a person’s public reputation when these charges are filed?
Murder-for-hire accusations generate significant press coverage, especially in New York City. That coverage shapes how clients are perceived by their employers, families, communities, and potential jurors. Part of the work a defense attorney does in high-profile cases involves managing the public dimension strategically, deciding what to say and to whom, when to push back publicly against a narrative, and when to maintain strict confidentiality. Jason Goldman has worked with crisis communications specialists and media contacts on matters that attract public attention, and that capacity is part of how the firm protects clients whose cases become public.
Is there any way to get out in front of a murder-for-hire investigation before charges are filed?
Pre-arrest investigation work is among the most valuable services a defense attorney can provide in this context. If a person has reason to believe they are under investigation, an attorney can conduct an independent investigation, assess the likely state of the government’s evidence, communicate with prosecutors in a way that does not create additional exposure, and in some cases influence the charging decision. There are situations where proactive engagement with investigators, carefully structured through counsel, reduces the scope of charges or prevents an indictment entirely. This is not available in every case, but it is a reason why early contact with a criminal defense attorney matters enormously.
How does bail typically work in murder-for-hire cases in New York?
Given the nature of the alleged offense, prosecutors in both federal and state court routinely argue that defendants in murder-for-hire cases pose a risk to the community or a specific individual and should be detained without bail. Federal detention hearings happen quickly after arrest, and the government bears the burden of demonstrating dangerousness by clear and convincing evidence. Bail arguments in these cases require careful preparation: evidence of community ties, employment, family circumstances, and any facts that undercut the government’s characterization of the defendant as a threat. The outcome of a bail hearing significantly affects the defendant’s ability to participate in their own defense.
NYC Murder-for-Hire Defense Across New York City and the Surrounding Region
The Law Offices of Jason Goldman represents clients across all five boroughs and beyond. In Manhattan, this includes clients from Midtown, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Harlem, Washington Heights, the Financial District, and Chelsea. In Brooklyn, the firm serves clients from Park Slope, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Bay Ridge, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Canarsie. Queens clients come from Flushing, Jamaica, Astoria, Forest Hills, Jackson Heights, and Far Rockaway. In the Bronx, the firm represents clients from Riverdale, Fordham, the South Bronx, and Pelham Bay. Staten Island clients from St. George, Tottenville, and the North Shore are also served.
Beyond New York City, the firm extends its representation to clients in Nassau County communities such as Great Neck, Hempstead, and Garden City, as well as Westchester County areas including White Plains, Yonkers, and New Rochelle. The firm also handles matters in New Jersey and can seek pro hac vice admission in courts throughout the country when cases require it. Federal matters originating in the Southern District and Eastern District of New York are a significant part of the practice, and clients in those federal jurisdictions receive the same level of meticulous preparation regardless of where in the region they reside.
New York City Murder for Hire Attorney: Reach Out Before the Government Builds Its Case
These cases move faster than most people expect. Investigations that have been running for months surface suddenly, and the window for the most impactful pre-arrest work closes quickly. If you have any indication that you or someone close to you is the subject of a murder-for-hire investigation, or if charges have already been filed, the time to speak with a New York City murder for hire attorney is now. Jason Goldman is available for confidential consultations and brings the experience, the prosecutorial insight, and the full-spectrum strategic capacity that cases of this magnitude require.
Contact The Law Offices of Jason Goldman at 275 Madison Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10016, or reach out by email at jg@jasongoldmanlaw.com to arrange a private consultation.
