Inmate pleads guilty in connection to murder-for-hire scheme

BOSTON — A Byfield man in federal custody is accused of hiring a fellow inmate to murder three people, officials say.

Mason Stickney, 21, pleaded guilty to three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire. His sentencing is scheduled for June 13.

Stickney, who is currently being held at the Essex County House of Corrections on unrelated charges, was indicted back in Nov. 2017.

Authorities said it all happened in Oct. 2017 when Stickney approached a fellow inmate requesting his help in murdering a police officer, a New Hampshire restauranteur and a student. After the inmate reported Stickney's request to hire someone to commit those murders, investigators instructed the inmate to provide Stickney the contact of a would-be hitman, who was an undercover agent.

Unbeknownst to Stickney, conversations between him and the undercover agent were recorded between Nov. 3 and 8, both over the phone and in person at the jail. In those conversations, Stickney described to the undercover agent who he wanted killed and how.

Stickney promised to pay the undercover agent $10,000 upon his release from jail, as well as "get rid of three people for you guys."

Each charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Cox Media Group