Georgia Hitman Luis Belis Charged in Murder-for-Hire Shooting in Queens

Luis Belis, a 25‑year‑old resident of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was arraigned on March 13, 2026, and ordered to be held without bail after a grand jury indicted him on first‑degree murder and related charges. He is accused of carrying out a murder‑for‑hire plot that killed 36‑year‑old Jairo Javier Vinces‑Cobena on a sidewalk in Corona, Queens, New York. According to the indictment, Belis contracted with a contact in Ecuador, promising a $20,000 payment that was never collected. The suspect traveled from Georgia to New York multiple times, used a gray Ford Explorer and a stand‑up scooter, and communicated via a prepaid cellphone on WhatsApp to conceal his identity. After firing multiple shots, Vinces‑Cobena was taken to Elmhurst Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A Queens judge ordered pre‑trial detention without bail, and investigators continue to probe any additional parties involved.