I was looking through federal records on the Siegal case and decided to take a look at the “murder for hire’ case involving Anthony Piliero and Joseph Barone and see where things stood with that. Turns out we missed the big announcement last fall that the Grand Jury had indicted Piliero and Barone on two counts, Murder for Hire Conspiracy and Murder for Hire. Barone was charged with a third count, Felon in Possession of Firearms, for having been in possession of a Smith and Wesson handgun and a Colt Magnum .357 revolver.
The original complaint outlined the case against Anthony Piliero but referred to his partner the murder for hire scheme only as “CC-1” or Co-Conspirator 1.
Beginning in November 2008, PILIERO conspired with another individual (“CC-1”) to murder one of PILIERO’s former business partners (the “business partner”) in order to collect on an insurance policy issued on the life of the business partner.
PILIERO understood that CC-1 would make the murder appear as if it had occurred during a home invasion at the business partner’s Connecticut residence.
Insurance records show that since March 1999, PILIERO has been the sole beneficiary of a $1,000,000 life insurance policy covering the business partner.
PILIERO agreed to pay CC-1 from insurance proceeds received following the business partner’s death.
PILIERO, 48, of New Rochelle, New York, is charged with one count of murder for hire. If convicted, PILIERO faces a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme.
The Grand Jury Indictment handed down October 30, 2009 formally reveals Piliero’s Co-Conspirator to be Joseph Barone, as was reported by the Journal News at the time of Piliero’s arrest.
COUNT ONE (Murder For Hire)
The Grand Jury charges:
1. From in or about November 2008, up through and including in or about January 2009, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, ANTHONY V. PILIERO and JOSEPH S. BARONE, the defendants, and others known and unknown, unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly did combine, conspire, confederate, and
agree together and with each other to violate Section 1958 of Title 18 of the United States Code, and thereby would and did travel in and cause another to travel in interstate and foreign commerce, with intent that a murder be committed in violation of the laws of any State and the United States as consideration for the receipt of, and as consideration for a promise and agreement to pay, anything of pecuniary value, as those terms are defined
in Title 18, United States Code, Section 1958(b).COUNT TWO (Murder For Hire)
The Grand Jury further charges:
2. From in or about November 2008, up through and including in or about January 2009, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, ANTHONY V. PILIERO and JOSEPH S. BARONE, the defendants, and others known and unknown, unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly traveled in and caused another to travel
in interstate and foreign commerce, to wit, travel between New York and Connecticut, with intent that a murder be committed in violation of the laws of New York State and Connecticut, to wit, New York State Penal Law Section 125.25, and Connecticut General Statutes Annotated Section 53a-54a, as consideration for the receipt of, and as consideration for a promise and agreement to pay, anything of pecuniary value, as those terms are defined in
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1958(b), to wit, PILIERO and BARONE offered money to others in exchange for committing the murder of a victim in Connecticut.COUNT THREE (Felon in Possession of Firearms)
The Grand Jury further charges:
3. In or about January 2009, in the Southern District of New York, JOSEPH S. BARONE, the defendant, after having been convicted in a court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, to wit, Collection of Extensions of Credit by Extortionate Means, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 894, in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, unlawfully, willfully, and knowingly, did possess in and affecting commerce, firearms, to wit, a Smith and Wesson handgun and a Colt Magnum .357 revolver, which previously had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
Read the full documents Piliero Case.pdfhere.