Philly Drug Dealer Hatched Murder-for-Hire Plot, Planned to Kill Hitman: Feds

A drug dealer in Philadelphia allegedly concocted a murder-for-hire plot against his rival that would have ended in two casualties: the nemesis and the hitman. Darnell Jackson, 47, allegedly agreed to meet the supposed hitman with $5,500 in late July but instead brought a loaded gun. The hitman, however, was an FBI informant, and Jackson was arrested, federal authorities said Monday. “It is no stretch of the imagination to conclude that law enforcement thwarted multiple alleged attempted murders,” said acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams in a press conference. Nino V. Tinari, Jackson’s lawyer, says the informant lied to the FBI and that Jackson is actively trying to turn his life around after previous run-ins with the law. “They took a high-profile guy and are attempting to tear him down,” Tinari said. He claimed Jackson was a mentor in community groups but wouldn’t name any of them. Jackson remains in custody pending a detention hearing next week, and prosecutors said they’re going to try to keep him in jail until trial.