Hit Man Sought By North Redington Man To Kill Witnesses Against Him

TAMPA, FL — A 24-year-old North Redington Beach man has pleaded guilty to hiring a hit man.

Alexander Leszczynski on charges of indicted for murder-for-hire and obstruction of justice after being accused of asking an inmate at the Pinellas County Jail to find him someone to kill two people who were testifying against him in a fraud case.

According to court documents, around Oct. 7, 2020, Leszczynski filed a warranty dead with the Pinellas County Clerk of Court to transfer a property in Redington Shores from its two rightful owners to Aura Inc., a fictitious corporation Leszczynski controlled.

In April 2022, a grand jury with the Middle District of Florida charged Leszczynski with several counts of fraud, including fraud related to the property owned by two victims. He was arraigned on May 17, 2022, and his trial was set for October with United States District Judge Mary S. Scriven.

However, in August, a confidential informant told the FBI that Leszczynski approached him and told him he had $45,000 hidden at his home that he would use to pay someone to kill the victims so the fraud case against him would be dropped.

The confidential informant put Leszczynski in contact with a purported hitman, who was actually an undercover agent.

On Sept. 8 and 9, Leszczynski spoke to the undercover agent on the phone and gave him the names, address, ages, physical descriptions and photos of the two people he wanted killed. Leszczynski also negotiated a price, agreeing to pay $30,000, according to court records.

Leszczynski faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.