A Boston man has pled guilty in a chilling murder-for-hire plot that targeted his own wife and her new flame, the Justice Department revealed. Mohammed Chowdhury, 47, admitted to orchestrating the cold-blooded plan, hoping to eliminate his estranged spouse and her boyfriend for a fee of $4,000 per hit.
Chowdhury, who has been sitting in federal custody since his arrest last January, confessed to two counts of using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, a gruesome reminder of love gone lethally awry. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, sentencing has been set for this April 23, with the distinct possibility Chowdhury faces up to a decade behind bars.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy highlighted the case's brutality, saying, "Mr. Chowdhury's callousness and disregard for human life is shocking." He outlined how Chowdhury flouted a restraining order and concocted a murder plan instead, bringing domestic violence to its most horrifying potential. Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division, echoed these sentiments, stressing Chowdhury's blatant lack of respect for human life and the swift action taken by the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force to thwart his plans.
The case unfolded after an informant tipped off authorities in November 2022 that Chowdhury was on the prowl for a hired assassin. Despite being bilked once in his efforts – paying a would-be killer who failed to perform – Chowdhury doubled down, telling the informant he'd go as far as robbing a store to fund the nefarious deed. Law enforcement used an undercover agent to lure Chowdhury into their net, revealing his detailed instructions to leave "No evidence. No evidence. No evidence from like, you know, that, uh, I did something, you know?" as told the U.S. Attorney's Office.
During the sting operation, Chowdhury handed over photos of his targets along with their addresses and workplaces, and even provided a $500 down payment to the undercover agents to seal the deadly deal. But his plots were foiled as he was promptly taken into federal custody by January 17, 2023. Preceding this saga, Chowdhury found himself in hot water back in October 2019, charged with violating an Abuse Prevention Order in an unrelated matter concerning his wife.
The gravity of Chowdhury's attempted crimes has brought a united front from both law enforcement and the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke A. Goldworm and John T. Dawley are managing the prosecution of this case, with invaluable assistance from the Boston Police Department. As the wheels of justice turn toward April's sentencing, the community awaits a resolution that could offer solace to the victims and a warning to those contemplating similar sinister paths.
