Hired To Kill: Lorain Man Convicted Of Murder Conspiracy

LORAIN, OH — A Lorain man was hired to hunt down and kill a woman for an inmate at a New Jersey prison. Eduardo Rios Velasquez has now been convicted by a jury on one count of conspiracy to murder.

“This case was an outstanding effort by investigators and prosecutors from multiple states and jurisdictions who came together to avert a tragedy,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said.

During summer 2017, the 37-year-old Velasquez told an inmate at Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution that he had been hired to kill a woman for him. The woman was identified only as T.G. in court documents.

The 37-year-old was put in contact with the inmate with the help of Angel Cordero, 37, who is also currently an inmate at Fort Dix. Cordero and Velasquez did time in prison together. The three men spoke using a cell phone that was smuggled into the prison.

When Cordero asked another inmate for help finding T.G.'s address, the inmate turned to the police. He wore a wire and recorded conversations between the men. While Velasquez was able to get T.G.'s address, law enforcement swept in before he could attack her.

Law enforcement said they also discovered that large shipments of cocaine were being sent to Velasquez, with Cordero brokering the narcotics deals. Federal agents intercepted a kilogram of cocaine being shipped to the Lorain man in July.

Velasquez and Cordero both faced charges of conspiracy to murder and to distribute cocaine and both men were found guilty. They will be sentenced on Sept. 18.

“It is not uncommon for our investigations to unveil drug-related murders; but this significant murder-for-hire plot paved a twisted path from New York City to Lorain, Ohio," said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Hunt. "Law enforcement collaboration helped prevent another murder from occurring. I commend the dedicated and talented team of agents, detectives, investigators and prosecutors who worked on this investigation.”

The investigation into Velasquez and Cordero was led by Homeland Security's New York Office, the DEA's New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, and the FBI in Cleveland, with collaboration among many other agencies.

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