Two men from Kansas were charged in federal court for offering to kill a man for a fee of $10,000 and make the murder appear like a robbery. Brian Pizarro, 19, and Miguel A. Pizarro, 20, from Kansas City, Kansas, have been charged with traveling from Kansas to Missouri in order to carry out a contract killing.
An affidavit filed by an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) task force stated that the Pizarro brothers planned to take the victim out from a distance using an AR-15 rifle, and steal the victim's billfold after that. However, the brothers failed to commit the crime. Unaware to them, they walked into an undercover sting operation being conducted by a detective from the Kansas City Police Department and federal agents.
"These allegations are deeply disturbing. The price of a man's life is set at $10,000. A would-be hitman offers a description of a previous killing as his credentials for the job. The defendants don't even ask why the victim is to be killed," US Attorney Stephen McAllister said in a statement.
Making Murder Look Like A Robbery
According to documents filed in federal court, the investigation began in June 2020 with a number of meetings set up by the Pizarro brothers. During these meetings, the undercover investigators were able to purchase several guns including a Glock 9 mm pistol, a Smith and Wesson .45-caliber pistol, a .40-caliber Glock pistol, and an HS Produkt .45-caliber pistol.
In one of the meetings, Miguel Pizarro claimed that a gun that he was selling the agents was "dirty." During successive meetings with an undercover agent, the Pizarro brothers acknowledged their role in two other homicides in Kansas City. When the ATF carried out ballistic tests from one of the said homicides, they matched shell casings with one of the guns procured from the brothers.
During another conversation, an undercover agent inquired Miguel Pizarro if he knew someone who could carry out a "job" for him, to which Miguel suggested his brother Brian's name. The police in Kansas City were aware that Brian Pizarro was a member of the notorious F-13 gang. Both the brothers were told by the agent that he required the 'services' of someone who could execute a person and mask it as a robbery. The Pizarros offered themselves as the perfect candidates.
$10,000: The Cost of A Life
After accepting the contract, the Pizarros were told by the undercover agent that the murder would have to be committed in Springfield, Missouri. The brothers said that the cost for both of them to carry out the deed would be $10,000, and $15,000 if a third party had to be recruited to carry it out.
On 4 November 2020, the Pizarros were met by the undercover officer in his car. Brian Pizarro was given Pizarro $800 as a down payment. The Pizarros stated that they would use a stolen car to make the journey to Springfield and that they expected the remainder of their fee after committing the murder. After arriving in Springfield on 9 November 2020 to carry out the killing, the Pizarro brothers were arrested.
If convicted, the Pizarros could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. "This case embodies ATF's core mission of holding armed, violent criminals accountable for their actions. Investigations such as this one are making our communities safer places to live, work and play," said James Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Kansas City Field Division.
