Marion Lopatniuk indicted for alleged murder-for-hire plot from jail

Marion Lopatniuk, a 45-year-old inmate at the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility, has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme from his jail cell.

According to federal prosecutors, Lopatniuk used facility phone lines to offer $1,200 in upfront cash for the murder of his ex-wife’s boyfriend. To cover any remaining debt for the hit, he allegedly proposed distributing drugs and committing additional murders. The intended victim was not harmed, as the FBI intervened to stop the scheme.

Lopatniuk was arraigned in federal court in Albany. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release.