NEW: Two Indicted for Allegedly Conspiring to Murder Federal Prosecutors
GoLocalProv News Team
NEW: Two Indicted for Allegedly Conspiring to Murder Federal Prosecutors
At the direction of the Department of Justice in Washington, the District of Massachusetts is now recused from this matter.
Elijah Melton, 26, of Taunton and Kareem Pires, 25 of Wareham, currently detained in federal custody in Rhode Island, are named in an indictment that charges both men with conspiracy to tamper with a witness or informant by killing or attempting to kill, and conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in commission of murder-for-hire.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAdditionally, Melton faces three counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence. The defendants will be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island on a later date to be determined by the court.
Case Information
This matter was first charged by way of a federal criminal complaint filed in the District of Massachusetts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston. According to that release in May:
"In December 2023, Melton was arrested and charged in a two-count federal indictment of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and the distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Melton was released by the Court on conditions. In February 2024, Melton was arrested for allegedly violating his pre-trial release conditions. Melton was ordered detained pending trial and has remained in federal custody since.
According to the charging documents, a cooperating witness told federal authorities that Melton had allegedly solicited him to murder a person (Target Witness) that Melton believed to be cooperating in Melton’s federal drug case. Melton allegedly told the cooperating witness that members of his gang had placed a 'bounty' on the Target Witness and provided the cooperating witness with information about the Target Witness, including the city in which he resided, the car he drove, and details about distinctive jewelry he wore. Melton allegedly offered to arrange for a juvenile family member to deliver $75,000 to a family member of the cooperating witness. The cooperating witness informed federal authorities that he refused the money at that time.
Melton allegedly further asked the cooperating witness to murder two other individuals that were 'beefing' with Melton’s crew (Target Rival #1 and Target Rival #2). Melton allegedly provided the cooperating witness with information to identify the Target Rivals and the Target Witness. Melton also allegedly told the cooperating witness that he wanted two federal prosecutors murdered, provided the cooperating witness with certain information about the prosecutors and indicated that he would provide the money to murder the prosecutors personally.
According to the charging documents, Melton told the cooperating witness that Pires, who was not detained, could help identify the targets and locations where the targets might be found. It is alleged that Melton expected the cooperating witness to be released from prison soon thereafter and provided the cooperating witness with both a letter for Pires and the phone number for Melton’s juvenile family member. Federal authorities reviewed the letter Melton provided the cooperating witness, which allegedly included information, among other things, information concerning the plan to murder the Target Rivals. Prior to the cooperating witness’s release from custody, Melton allegedly provided him with a second letter to be delivered to Pires. Federal authorities reviewed the letter, which allegedly referenced the Target Rivals.
According to court documents, upon his release from custody in April 2024, the cooperating witness arranged to meet with Pires. They met in a public location, where the cooperating witness delivered the second letter to Pires, who allegedly agreed to assemble information, including pictures, about the Target Witness and the Target Rivals for the cooperating witness."
The matter was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. The matter is being prosecuted in the District of Rhode Island by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey A. Erickson and Peter I. Roklan.