A federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment on Thursday charging Larry Talledo-Torrejon, 29, a citizen of Peru last residing in Stamford, with orchestrating a murder for hire scheme.
The indictment was announced by Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division.
According to allegations contained in the indictment and a previously-filed criminal complaint, in early December 2015, Talledo-Torrejon, as part of a contract to purchase a restaurant in Stamford for $300,000, provided the seller of the restaurant with $150,000 in cashier checks and an additional $150,000 in checks drawn on bank accounts with insufficient funds. On December 5, Talledo-Torrejon directed an individual who owed him $5,000 to follow the manager of the restaurant (“G.R.”) to his home in New York and to murder him. In exchange for doing so, Talledo-Torrejon agreed to forgive the $5,000 debt and to pay the individual an additional $5,000 in cash. The individual subsequently contacted law enforcement, and also contacted Talledo-Torrejon to let him know that he had kidnapped G.R. and was holding him.
It is further alleged that on December 7, 2015, Talledo-Torrejon provided the individual with a manila folder containing two copies of a receipt that falsely stated that Talledo-Torrejon had provided G.R. with $150,000. Talledo-Torrejon directed the individual to provide the receipts to G.R., coerce G.R. into signing them, and then kill him. Talledo-Torrejon told the individual that his pre-existing debt had been cancelled, and also suggested that they could start a business kidnapping and extorting money from persons.
It is also alleged that on December 8, Talledo-Torrejon made a complaint with the Stamford Police Department falsely claiming that G.R. had stolen $150,000 that Talledo-Torrejon had provided G.R. to complete the purchase of the restaurant.
Talledo-Torrejon was arrested on December 8 after the individual provided him with the receipts signed by G.R., and Talledo-Torrejon provided the individual with $500 in partial payment for the murder.
Talledo-Torrejon has been detained since his arrest.
The charge of murder for hire carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Daly stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.