Nurse Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison For Murder-For-Hire Plot

A Cleveland-area nurse was sentenced to 12 years in prison today for his role in a murder-for-hire plot and related crimes, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Andrew Martin, age 23, of Bristolville, pleaded guilty earlier this year to use of an interstate commerce facility in the commission of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and obtaining individually identifiable health information.

“This sentence underscores the seriousness of this defendant’s conduct,” Dettelbach said. “He sought to have a woman killed over a home in Lakewood. The community is fortunate that law enforcement was vigilant and stopped this plot.”

“Working with Lakewood police and fire and our other law enforcement partners, an individual was brought to justice who attempted to prey on an elderly person, both financially and physically,” said Lance Kimmell, Group Supervisor for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Cleveland office.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Boykok also ordered Martin to pay more than $83,000 in restitution.

Martin worked as a registered nurse at a local hospital. He and another person (identified as D.S., who worked in the business of residential property repair and rehabilitation) conspired to take ownership and control of the house at 17225 Clifton Boulevard in Lakewood, which was owned by a person identified as G.W. who was a patient at the hospital where Martin worked, according to court documents.

This would be done, in part, by Martin accessing G.W.’s medical records. He passed that information on to D.S., who fraudulently maintained he had a personal relationship with G.W., which caused the homeowner to transfer ownership of the Clifton property prior to the G.W.’s death, according to court records.

On Nov. 21, 2011, Martin and D.S. caused a fraudulent quitclaim deed to be filed with the Cuyahoga County Recorder, which transferred ownership to D.S. D.S. had fraudulently represented to others that he had a personal relationship with G.W. based on medical records accessed by Martin, according to court documents.

A woman identified as J.C. was the sister of G.W. and the administrator of his estate. On Nov. 21, 2011, Martin and D.S. met J.C. at the property, where they maintained D.S. was the rightful owner, according to court documents.

In February 2012, Martin prepared D.S. for a deposition relating to the transfer of the Clifton property by providing D.S. with personal information about G.W. that Martin learned from accessing his medical records at the hospital, according to court documents.

On November 5, 2012, Martin used a telephone in connection with his intention that J.C. be murdered in exchange for the promise of $10,000, according to court documents.

Martin solicited a patient at the hospital to kill J.C. because “she has been trying to mess up my life” and then followed up with telephone calls which related to the solicitation. Martin wanted the patient to “put four in her head and make it look like a robbery,” according to court documents.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Henry F. DeBaggis and Kelly L. Galvin following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Maple Heights Police Department and Lakewood Police and Fire Departments.