Anahuac man guilty in murder-for-hire plot
An Anahuac man has pleaded guilty in a murder-for-hire scheme.
David Houston Sartin, 49, entered a guilty plea Monday. Sartin admitted in court to attempted kidnapping and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Thad Hartfield.
According to information presented in court, beginning in December 2011, Sartin made attempts to hire another person to kidnap an individual from Kyiv, Ukraine and deliver the individual to Sartin in the United States where Sartin then intended to kill or have the individual killed.
Prosecutors say Sartin met with an undercover agent on Mar. 6, 2012 and paid the undercover agent a deposit of $25,000 with the promise of another $25,000. Sartin was arrested in Beaumont on Mar. 23, 2012 while attempting to deliver the final $25,000.
Sartin was also in possession of a handgun, a stun-gun and hand cuffs.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury on Apr. 18, 2012.
Sartin faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the kidnapping charge and a minimum of 5 years for the firearms violation.
A sentencing date has not been set.