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A Michigan woman pleaded guilty last week to attempting to hire a hitman through a fake website to kill her ex-husband, according to multiple reports.
MLive.com reported that 52-year-old Wendy Lynn Wein filled out a service request form on a website called "Rent-A-Hitman" in the Spring of 2020. She hoped to meet with someone who could help address an "issue" with her ex-husband. But unbeknownst to Wein, the website was fake.
"The domain was created as a cyber-security test site, police said, adding that the website owner was concerned Wein was serious and could be attempting to kill the man," MLive.com reported.
In an in-depth article about the fake website, Fox 2 Detroit said that California resident Bob Innes created the website in 2005 as a "class project." He abandoned the site for several years before revisiting, only to find that people were actually filling out request forms.
"So, he started responding to inquiries asking people if they still needed the services and if they wanted to meet with a field operative," Fox 2 Detroit reported.
If someone said "yes," he'd pass their information along to law enforcement. In 2020, he claimed to have prevented more than 140 murders by doing this, the station added.
The fake website is still live and offers free consultations with one of over 17,985 U.S.-based field operatives.
"Rent-A-Hitman has seen it all and knows just how to precisely handle your delicate situation in a timely manner while maintaining 100% compliance with HIPPA [Hitman Information Privacy & Protection Act of 1964] Guaranteed," the site jokingly claimed.
Wein reportedly used a pseudonym when filling out the form; however, she used her "personal identifying information" to complete the form, said MLive.com.
An undercover police officer posed as a hitman and met with Wein on July 17, said Complex. Wein offered the undercover cop $5,000 for the hit, as well as any out-of-state expenses. Shortly after handing over the payment, she was arrested.
On November 12, Wein pleaded guilty to charges of solicitation of murder and using a computer to commit a crime, MLive.com said.
According to the outlet, her plea deal includes "a cap of 108 months in prison on the minimum sentence." She will be sentenced on January 13, 2022.
Wein isn't the first person to meet with a contract killer in an attempt to kill their ex. In July, a Florida man pleaded guilty to arranging a hit to kill his ex-girlfriend and her husband.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more