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Crime & Courts

Rensselaer County Man Indicted in Murder-for-Hire Plot

Marion Lopatniuk, 45, was arraigned in federal court on charges of using interstate commerce to arrange a murder-for-hire, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The case remains undecided.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 31, 2026, 4:52 p.m. ET
On August 31, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York announced that Marion Lopatniuk, 45, of Rensselaer County, was arraigned in federal court on August 27, 2026, before Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista on a charge of using an interstate commerce facility in the commission of a murder-for-hire. A grand jury indicted Lopatniuk on August 12, 2026. The case is at the charging stage and has not been resolved; the charges are merely accusations, and The indictment alleges that Lopatniuk used phone lines from Rensselaer County Correctional Facility to offer an upfront payment of $1,200 for the murder of a man he knew. It also alleges he agreed to distribute drugs and commit other murders to forgive the debt he would incur. The intended victim was not harmed, and the FBI arrested Lopatniuk on July 2, 2025. He has been in custody since. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, "As alleged, this defendant was brazen enough to offer upfront payment in a murder-for-hire scheme, even going so far as to offer to commit additional murders as payment." Craig Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Albany Field Office, said, "The allegations against Mr. Lopatniuk illustrate his disturbing plot to arrange a murder, but his plans didn't stop there." Lopatniuk faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. The charges are accusations; The case is ongoing and no verdict has been reached.

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  1. Version 131 Aug 2026, 20:52current

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