US Army Sergeant and his brother arrested in a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated from prison.
In a shocking turn of events, US Army Sergeant Jeremiah Peikert and his brother Joshua Peikert have been arrested for their involvement in a murder-for-hire plot. According to authorities, the scheme was orchestrated by Joshua while he was serving time at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Uncasville, Connecticut. The plot involved the murder of four individuals, including two children.
The plan came to light when Joshua allegedly paid his cellmate a finder’s fee to hire someone to carry out the murders. The cellmate, whose identity remains undisclosed, informed investigators that Joshua expressed his desire to have the four people killed shortly after being incarcerated together. He claimed to have connections on the outside who would carry out the job for $10,000 per person.
Joshua agreed to pay half of the sum upfront and the other half upon completion of the task. He provided the names, addresses, and even the location of a hidden spare key at the victims’ residence. Shockingly, Jeremiah assisted his brother in transferring money to the inmate’s account to facilitate the “construction job.”
The cellmate informed Joshua that he would receive a $500 finder’s fee, with $250 paid in advance and the remaining amount once the victims were dead. Jeremiah acted as the intermediary, delivering the initial $250 payment.
Although Joshua was temporarily released on bail, he continued discussing the details of the murder plot with his former cellmate. They used coded language such as “construction job” and “materials” to refer to the planned murders. However, Joshua was rearrested after just two weeks and expressed his frustration that the killings had not been carried out yet.
In an unexpected twist, the cellmate decided to expose the murder-for-hire plot by sending a handwritten letter to one of the intended victims. This prompted a police investigation into the matter. The cellmate also revealed that Joshua had put out a hit on him, further escalating the gravity of the situation.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered multiple conversations between Joshua and Jeremiah discussing the crime, as well as communication between Jeremiah and the former cellmate. In December 2023, Connecticut State Police traveled to Texas to interview Jeremiah, who admitted to transferring money at his brother’s request. However, he claimed to be unaware of the specifics of the plan, stating that he believed only harm was intended for the 29-year-old woman and not the children involved.
Jeremiah expressed reluctance in sending the money but succumbed to pressure from his manipulative brother and the cellmate, who promised that the job would be completed within two weeks. He also revealed that Joshua has displayed violent tendencies from a young age, suggesting a potential motive behind his involvement in this heinous plot.
Jeremiah has been extradited to Connecticut and is facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to minors. He is currently being held on a $500,000 bond. Joshua, on the other hand, remains in custody at the Connecticut Department of Correction, facing identical charges.
This disturbing case highlights the potential dangers of criminal networks operating from within prison walls. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of correctional facilities in preventing inmates from orchestrating criminal activities while incarcerated. The involvement of an active-duty US Army Sergeant further emphasizes the need for increased vigilance and scrutiny within the ranks of the military.
It is essential that law enforcement agencies and correctional institutions work together to identify and dismantle these illicit networks to ensure public safety. Additionally, this case serves as a stark reminder that violent tendencies and manipulative behavior should never be ignored, as they can lead individuals down a dark path.
