Lawyer gets 10 years for hiring hitman to kill ex-wife as it was 'cheaper' than getting her deported
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: An attorney received his sentence in a San Francisco courtroom for orchestrating the murder of his ex-wife amid a bitter child custody battle this week.
Allen Gessen, aged 49, was sentenced to 120 months in prison after he paid an undercover FBI agent $50,000 to carry out the murder of the mother of his young children, as stated by United States Attorney Ismail Ramsey.
The sentence was imposed by US Northern District of California Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley.
Lawyer Allen Gessen wanted full custody of two children
As per KRON4 reports, Attorney Allen Gessen's initial plan against his estranged partner involved bribing immigration agents to deport her to her home country, prosecutors revealed.
Gessen believed that by having his ex deported, he could secure full custody of their two children, investigators stated.
The US attorney's office documented, "Gessen initially agreed to pay the undercover FBI agent $100,000 to accomplish the bribery and deportation scheme. Gessen explained he could justify the expenditure because he would pay more in child support if his former partner remained in the United States" the prosecutor elaborated.
Later, he opted for a "cheaper" and more permanent solution to make her disappear by hiring someone to kill her.
Who is Allen Gessen?
Allen Gessen is a licensed attorney in New York. During the summer of 2022, Gessen met with an undercover FBI agent twice.
In these meetings, Gessen talked about the custody battle for his son and daughter that had been going on for years.
The US Attorney’s Office claimed, “Gessen’s objectives quickly transformed from bribing an immigration official to deport his former partner, to hiring someone to murder her. Gessen resolved to murder his former partner because it was a ‘cheaper way to get rid of her’ and was a more permanent solution,”
Allen Gessen provided FBI agent with ‘target package’
According to court records, Allen Gessen took the initiative to plan the murder using the FBI agent's connection. He provided the agent with a "target package" containing details about his ex, including her photograph, social media accounts, home address, boyfriend, vehicle, and lifestyle.
Investigators reported that Gessen agreed to pay a $25,000 deposit and the remaining $25,000 after her murder was completed.
The US Attorney’s Office wrote, “The trial evidence established that Gessen wired a total of $23,000 to an FBI undercover bank account in San Francisco. Gessen also sent to the undercover FBI agent a written agreement containing a promise to pay for phony ‘consulting services’ as a method to disguise the true nature of the funds.”
In the summer of 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Gessen, charging him with one count of murder for hire.
The Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the US Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Gessen was ultimately convicted after a one-week jury trial at the federal courthouse in San Francisco.
