PROVIDENCE, RI — A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to charges related to a conspiracy to murder a federal witness to prevent the witness from testifying in a criminal matter pending before the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.
Kareem Pires, 27, of Wareham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to tamper with a witness or informant by killing or attempting to kill, in a murder-for-hire plot.
Pires will be sentenced on May 18.
The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Pires participated in a conspiracy to arrange for the killings of a federal witness connected to a pending federal criminal case.
The agreement between Pires and a co-defendant, to kill a witness in an official proceeding in the District of Massachusetts was formed while co-defendant Elijah Melton was awaiting trial at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility.
The matter is being prosecuted by Criminal Chief Stacey A. Erickson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts, with the assistance of the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island.
