Local Man Arrested on Murder-for-Hire Charges

Photo Credit: WHDH, 7-News

An Everett man was arrested Friday in Boston in connection with federal murder-for-hire charges, investigators announced.

Joseph Burke, 51, was charged in a criminal complaint with interstate travel and use of facilities of interstate commerce in commission of murder-for-hire. Burke was detained pending a detention hearing before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy on Oct. 21.

According to the complaint, Burke and an undercover federal agent had numerous recorded telephone conversations and meetings in which Burke agreed to kill an associate of the undercover agent in exchange for money.

Among other things, the complaint alleges that Burke told the undercover agent that he obtained two guns in connection with the plot, a Glock .40 caliber handgun and a Skorpion submachine gun. Furthermore, Burke asked the undercover agent to get him two masks from a specific company that he would use when committing the murder.

Law enforcement officers also executed search warrants at two residences in Everett and on a black Nissan Altima registered to Burke.

The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.