Colonie Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Murder-for-Hire Plot

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jeal Sutherland, age 58, of Colonie, New York, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for using an interstate commerce facility in a murder-for-hire scheme targeting a Capital Region man.  First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

As detailed in Sutherland’s plea agreement and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, between November 2024 and January 2025, Sutherland used his cell phone to arrange the murder of a man who is the father of a child with Sutherland’s then-partner.  As part of this plot, Sutherland agreed to forgive a debt of the person he hired to kill the victim.  Sutherland also agreed to pay an undercover FBI agent – whom Sutherland believed to be a hog farmer – for use of a Pennsylvania farm to dispose of the victim by having pigs consume the body.  Sutherland admitted that in late January 2025, he had another man put the carcass of a Canada goose on the doorstep of the victim’s mother.  When the dead bird was discovered, it had a threatening note stuffed in its beak that had been written at Sutherland’s direction.     

The intended victim was not harmed, and the FBI arrested Sutherland on January 27, 2025. Sutherland has been in custody since his arrest.

United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a $15,000 fine and ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow Sutherland’s release from prison.

First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “Jeal Sutherland thought he could order up the murder of his romantic rival right from his cell phone.  Thanks to the hard work of FBI Albany and members of my office, Sutherland will now be dialing out from a federal prison for the foreseeable future.”

FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: “The details of Mr. Sutherland’s callous plans are deeply disturbing and prove he had every intention of ending a life. Instead, his vicious and intricate plot has landed him in federal prison. This case clearly illustrates the FBI will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to swiftly investigate and interrupt any individual looking to carry out such egregious acts of violence in our communities.”

The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Colonie Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian prosecuted this case.

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