NEW YORK–A former credit union branch manager has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for plotting to hire a hitman to kill her brother-in-law, with prosecutors also releasing new details around how the attempted hit played out.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said that Reshma Massarone, who had been manager of a branch of Mid Hudson Valley FCU, has been sentenced to 114 months in prison for the murder-for-hire scheme. Massarone had earlier pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel, who imposed the sentence.
As reported earlier, Massarone had been called “evil” by her own family according to the New York Post, and had also twice sued the credit union.
Massarone allegedly attempted to hire a hitman after having been engaged in a civil litigation case with her brother-in-law about a restraining order she had attempted to take out against him, according to the New York Post.
Family Called Her ‘Evil’
Massarone, who was called “evil” by her family, according to the report, had allegedly offered an unidentified friend $10,000 to kill her brother-in-law while he was on a family trip to their native country of Guyana.
Massarone also reportedly had had an “ongoing civil litigation matter pending in New York,” and that the “attempted hit job unfolded after several months of infighting between Massarone and her family, who believe she tried to exploit a dying relative by taking out an insurance policy on her.”
According to the New York Post, Massarone has dealt with the New York court system before on several occasions, and that twice in the past two years she has sued the credit union that employed her, claiming she was racially discriminated against while working there.
Both cases were dismissed by judges.
A ‘Chilling Plan’
Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, “The defendant devised a chilling plan to have a member of her own family murdered for the low price of ten thousand dollars. Her plan was unthinkably heartless. For this depraved crime, Reshma Massarone will spend 114 months in federal prison.”
According to the complaint, between July 20, 2023, and August 16, 2023, the defendant plotted with an individual (“Individual-1”) to hire a hitman to murder her own brother-in-law (the “Victim”), in exchange for $10,000. But Individual-1 was a member of a foreign police force, and he became an undercover law enforcement agent to develop evidence against Massarone that she was plotting to hire a hitman to have the Victim murdered.
Massarone exchanged with Individual-1 dozens of messages on social media and participated in numerous phone calls with Individual-1, imploring Individual-1 to murder the victim or hire someone who would.
‘Swore on Kids Lives’
“For example, in Facebook Messenger communications, when Individual-1 told Massarone that the plan to murder her brother-in-law was set for the next day, Massarone responded that if Individual-1 ‘take[s] care of business, then Individual-1 would get paid,’ the complaint continued. “Massarone also told Individual-1 that she had other ‘jobs’ for him, and swore on her kids’ lives that Individual-1 would get paid if he ‘[got] rid’ of the victim for her. After that, Massarone told the Individual-1, ‘No more text’.
“As part of Massarone plan, she wired $2,500 to Individual-1 to give to the hitman as a down payment for the victim’s murder,” the complaint states. “Video surveillance at a Western Union captured Massarone counting 25 $100 bills, for a total amount of $2,500.
“After Massarone wired the money to Individual-1, Massarone continued to plan the victim’s murder. When Individual-1 told Massarone that the hitman’s plan was to shoot the victim and that there was ‘no turning back,’ Massarone replied, ‘Right. No turning back’.”
Intended Victim Alive & Well
As the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted, the victim was never murdered.
“As time passed and the victim remained alive, Massarone grew impatient with Individual-1. Massarone urged Individual-1 to murder the victim, suggesting that ‘rat poison can do a great job’,” the complaint continued. “Massarone told Individual-1, ‘You is all talk and no action,’ and ‘Come on do the thing and I will take care of you.’ Massarone threatened to find someone else to murder the victim, stating, ‘Either way, if I find somebody to do the job you’re going to get blame, so cut the bullshit and let’s get it done’.”
In addition to the prison sentence, Massarone, 40, of Pine Bush, N.Y., was sentenced to three years of supervised release, prosecutors said.