NY Man Sentenced After Offering Cash and Bottle of Wild Turkey Bourbon for the Murder and Gruesome Disposal of Romantic Rival’s Body
A New York man has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison for plotting to have a romantic rival murdered and his remains fed to hogs.
Jeal Sutherland, 58, of Colonie near Albany, was sentenced to 87 months after being convicted of using interstate communications in a murder-for-hire scheme, according to a U.S. Department of Justice release.
Prosecutors said Sutherland attempted to hire what he believed was a Pennsylvania hog farmer to kill a man who had a child with Sutherland’s then-partner. He allegedly offered to forgive a loan and add $1,000 plus a bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon as payment. The supposed farmer was actually cooperating with the FBI.
U.S. District Judge Mae D’Agostino also imposed a $15,000 fine and ordered three years of supervised release following Sutherland’s prison term.
“Jeal Sutherland thought he could arrange the murder of his romantic rival from his cell phone,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone III. “Because of the work of FBI Albany and our office, he will instead be making calls from federal prison.”
Craig Tremaroli, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albany Field Office, said the case demonstrated Sutherland’s intent to carry out the killing. “The details of his plans were deeply disturbing,” Tremaroli said. “The FBI will continue working with law enforcement partners to quickly identify and stop individuals planning violent acts in our communities.”
Colonie Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Murder-for-Hire Plot
Jeal Sutherland, age 58, of Colonie, New York, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for using an interstate commerce facility in a murder-for-hire scheme targeting a Capital Region man. @NDNYNews release:… pic.twitter.com/FbbhUgbfF9
— FBI Albany (@FBIAlbany) February 10, 2026
Authorities said Sutherland also admitted that in January 2025 he arranged for a man to leave the carcass of a Canada goose on the doorstep of the intended victim’s mother as part of an intimidation effort. The intended victim was not harmed.
Investigators said Sutherland and the confidential source posing as a hog farmer discussed the plot multiple times between November 2024 and January 2025. The plan allegedly involved picking up the victim after his release from state prison under the pretense of offering him a job, then killing him and transporting the body to a Pennsylvania farm where hogs would dispose of the remains.
Court documents also alleged that a van for the planned crime was to be obtained from a nun for $250.
Sutherland was arrested in January 2025 and has remained in custody since that time.
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