Richmondville Man Arrested in Interstate Murder for Hire Plot

In a story that has hit national headlines, a Richmondville man was arrested on charges that he was acting as a hitman. The man met with an undercover agent he believed was seeking his services.

Joshua Craig Rowling, 18, of Richmondville, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, one count of possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, one count of unlawful possession of a weapon and one count of possession of a silencer. He was arrested after an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO) Cyber Crimes Unit.

Photo credit NJ.com and Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office

The case was profiled on the ICE website, with more details about the circumstances. According to law enforcement, Rowling used internet in an attempt to obtain a firearm outfitted with a silencer and cash in exchange for committing a murder.  Allegedly, Rowling went to Mahwah, New Jersey to meet with an undercover officer he believed was intent on hiring him for murder. Search warrants at his home in New York as well as his vehicle in New Jersey, resulted various evidence.

Bail was set at $1,000,000 with no 10 percent option.  Rowling was remanded to the Bergen County Jail in lieu of bail pending his first appearance in the Bergen County Central Municipal Court in Hackensack, New Jersey, on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016.