WHITE PLAINS, NY — Alejandro Valdovinos-Diaz, 31, of New Rochelle, NY will be arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court in White Plains before United States Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy on Monday March 23rd at 2:00 p.m. Valdovinos-Diaz is accused of trying to hire an undercover FBI agent to kill a man in Texas for $6,000.
Valdovinos-Diaz was arrested by the FBI in front of his apartment in New Rochelle on January 29th as the result of an undercover sting operation.
According to an affadavis filed in Federal Court by FBI Special Agent Brendan M. Kenney, Valdovinos-Diaz was placed under arrest by FBI and read his Miranda rights, Valdovinos-Diaz agreed to speak with law enforcement agents and told them he had tried to have the Victim killed because he had engaged in sexual relations with the Victim’s wife, that the Victim had threatened his life and that he was fearful that if he did not kill the Cictim, the the Victim would kill him.
Kenney’s affadvit descibes what took place leading up to the arrest of Valdovinos-Diaz.
The arrest occurred after a series of meetings with an undercover FBI agent posing as a “hitman” set up by a confidential informant with the Yonkers Police Department. The CI reported to the YPD that Valdovinos-Diaz wanted to hire someone to commit a murder in exchange for money. The YPD relayed this information to the FBI. Through the confidential informant, the FBI arranged for an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman to meet with Valdovinos-Diaz.
At the final meeting on January 29th in New Rochelle, Valdovinos-Diaz gave the undercover agent approximately $3,000 and two photographs of the victim.
The FBI learned that Valdovinos-Diaz had traveled to Texas to kill an individual but had second thoughts and decided to hire someone else to commit the murder for him. In December 2014, Valdovinos-Diaz, returned from Texas to New York and met with a man he believed to be a “hitman”. Valdovinos-Diaz told the “hitman”, actually an undercover FBI agent, that he wanted the victim killed because he and the individual had gotten into a personal dispute over a woman, and he believed that the individual was trying to have him harmed or killed.
The “hitman” met with Valdovinos-Diaz on January 22, 2015, in New Rochelle, New York. Valdovinos-Diaz told the undercover FBI agent that he wanted the “hitman” to make the murder look like a robbery and did not want the victim’s wife or family harmed. Valdovinos-Diaz warned the “hitman’ that the Victim possessed a firearm.
Valdovinos-Diaz agreed to pay the undercover agent $3,000 before the murder and another $3,000 after the murder.
On January 26, 2015, the undercover agent called Valdovinos-Diaz and a meeting in New Rochelle, NY was set up for January 29, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. They agreed to meet again that evening in New Rochelle.
Valdovinos-Diaz actively participated in discussions about details of the murder plot. Valdovinos-Diaz told the “hitman” that he was concerned because there were photographs on Facebook of himself with this woman, which might connect him to the murder. The undercover agent said Valdovinos-Diaz had nothing to worry about because he would be in New York and the murder would be committed in Texas. Valdovinos-Diaz asked the “hitman” how he would execute the murder and how soon he would do so. The undercover agent stated that he would make it look like a robbery, would ensure that the Victim’s wife and children do not get hurt, and would likely complete the murder soon.
The affadavit contains allegations by the FBI. Valdovinos-Diaz is entitled to the presumption of innocence.
UPDATE MARCH 23, 2015: Valdovinos-Diaz, who was previously arraigned and plead not guilty, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy. Bail was denied. He is continuin detention. His lawyers reserved the right to hold off and present their case for bail at a future date. The case has been referred to Judge Cathy Seibel (case #182).