Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-For-Hire and Marijuana Trafficking

Leon Campbell, a citizen of Jamaica, pled guilty yesterday at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn to murder-for-hire conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute marijuana.  When sentenced, Campbell faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million.  The plea took place before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.   

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the guilty plea.

“Leon Campbell showed total disregard for human life, seeking to have a hired gun kill someone he suspected of being a federal informant,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “The commendable work by our law enforcement partners prevented a murder from taking place.”  Mr. Donoghue extended his grateful appreciation to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Marshal Service, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance during the investigation.

According to court filings and facts presented at Campbell’s guilty plea and co-defendant Ronald Williams’ trial last year, on April 26, 2013, DEA agents followed Campbell as he was making a delivery of marijuana to a customer in Brooklyn.  Campbell spotted the agents and fled, suspecting his customer was an informant who had provided information to federal law enforcement.  On April 30, 2013, Campbell called Williams and offered to pay him $5,000 to kill the suspected informant.  Williams agreed to commit the murder and chose a gang member to carry out the contract.  Subsequently, when Campbell told Williams that he would personally kill the suspected informant but needed an alibi, Williams responded that it would be better to pay someone else to do the job and “get it right.”  The murder was not carried out. 

Williams was convicted in January 2018 of all counts, including murder-for-hire conspiracy, following a two-week trial before United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall. 

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan D. Reilly and Hiral D. Mehta are in charge of the prosecution.

The Defendant:

LEON CAMPBELL (also known as “Country”)
Age: 41
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 13-CR-419 (LDH)