Los Angeles-Area Woman Charged in Federal Case that Alleges Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Boyfriend with Life Insurance Policy

          LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities this week arrested a Bellflower woman on federal charges that she contracted with an FBI informant to kill her boyfriend in exchange for a portion of the proceeds she expected to collect from a life insurance policy.

          Rasheeda Johnson Turner, 37, was arrested Wednesday evening and was charged in a criminal complaint with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire.

          Turner, who has used the online monikers “Fiesty” and “Mz. Fiesty,” made her first court appearance yesterday afternoon and was ordered detained pending trial.

          The criminal complaint filed in United States District Court alleges that Turner sought assistance in murdering her boyfriend – who is identified in court documents by the initials L.G. – so that she could collect the proceeds from his life insurance policy. Turner told the informant she was the beneficiary of a $150,000 life insurance policy and that she would pay the killer $50,000.

          During a series of conversations over the past two weeks that are outlined in the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Turner told the informant that she initially planned to kill the intended victim herself – and she had obtained “pure acid” as part of the scheme – but feared being discovered and did not follow through with the plan.

          In the days after their initial meeting and discussion of the plot on December 4, Turner called the informant and made statements – such as “that fly needs to be swatted” – which the informant interpreted as meaning Turner wanted the murder to occur soon. During a meeting in a Lakewood park on December 8, Turner told the informant that she wanted the boyfriend killed before he could take her off the life insurance policy and cut off her access to his bank accounts, according to the affidavit. Turner labeled the murder plot “Operation Dumbo,” and told the informant that she wanted the man killed this week.

          Turner had shown the informant an app on her mobile telephone which allowed her to track the location of the victim’s telephone. On Wednesday, the informant called Turner and asked where the victim was located at that moment. Turner provided the location of the intended victim and confirmed that the informant would be paid for the murder. The FBI then contacted the victim and arrested Turner.

          A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

          At yesterday’s court hearing, a United States Magistrate Judge scheduled a preliminary hearing for December 28 and ordered Turner to appear for an arraignment on January 4.

          If she were to be convicted of the murder-for-hire charge alleged in the complaint, Turner would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

          The investigation into Turner’s alleged scheme is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

          The case against Turner is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Rhoades, Chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section.