A Philadelphia man has found himself facing a lengthy prison term after his conviction for a murder-for-hire scheme. Darnell Jackson, 52, known by the alias "Major Change," was sentenced to 20 years (240 months) behind bars, a term that will be followed by three years of supervised release, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
After a five-day trial culminating on February 28, 2023, a jury concluded that Jackson was culpable of using interstate commerce facilities in pursuit of a murder-for-hire and illegal ammunition possession. He had previously been convicted of a felony, which prohibits him from owning ammunition. Although no murder was actually carried out, Jackson's intention and steps to initiate the act were sufficient for his conviction. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the investigation was triggered by an unrelated state drug trafficking inquiry.
Jackson's efforts to orchestrate the crime involved communicating with an accomplice through cell phone calls and text messages. In these exchanges, exchanged on July 19, 2021, and the following days, he went as far as sending a photograph of the intended victim and offered $5,000 for carrying out the murder. The authorities got wind of his plans when his would-be accomplice reported to Jackson that the target had been located, and they allegedly agreed for the assassination to take place on July 21, 2021.
On the evening of the murder plot, the associate falsely informed Jackson that the victim was dead, to which Jackson responded that he was in transit to make the payment. However, Jackson was stopped by law enforcement and arrested before any payment could be made. He was found in possession of a loaded "ghost gun"—a firearm without a serial number—along with its 16 rounds of ammunition. "If you’re willing to casually order a hit — if you have so little respect for human life — you forfeit your right to walk around free with everyone else," U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero remarked concerning Jackson's sentencing, as stated in the press release.
The case against Jackson was a joint effort by the FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department, along with the prosecution by the Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter.
