Church Financial Director Accused Of Hiring Hitman On Dark Web To Kill Spouse Of Ex-Lover

NEW TAMPA, FL — The director of finance for a Carrollwood church has been arrested after being accused of hiring a hitman through the dark web to kill the spouse of her ex-lover.

On Thursday, the U.S. Marshals Service raided the New Tampa home of DeAnna Marie Stinson, 50, on Mayfair Park Court off Tampa Palms Boulevard and charged her with solicitation to commit a violent crime and murder for hire.

She is being held without bail at the Pinellas County Jail.

According to the arrest warrant, Stinson used Bitcoin to pay for the hitman, who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. She used Bitcoin because she thought it was untraceable, according to the marshals service.

Stinson is the director of finance for Bible-Based Fellowship Church at 4811 Erlich Road in Carrollwood.

In addition to her work at the church, Stinson is the founder of Woman of Excellence Consulting in New Tampa.

According to Woman of Excellence website, Stinson founded the organization in 2002 to help small, minority-owned businesses who can't afford administrative, organizational or accounting services.