A hit man for hire was busted by the FBI in New York City, New York with guns, ammo and even a latex mask of an old man after allegedly coming from Maine to plot a killing near Battery Park City.
Federal prosecutors said that Hyunkook Korsiak wanted $50,000 to carry out a killing in midtown, but he ended up getting caught in what the FBI said was a sting operation. Starting in January and lasting into March, Korsiak met with undercover FBI agents after the Bureau of Prisons intercepted a message he sent that detailed his desire to kill someone for money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The FBI said that Korsiak can be heard on a recording accepting $25,000 in cash, and even asking for a police uniform to help further hide his identity when he carries out the hit.
The 41-year-old Korsiak allegedly had several meetings — all of which law enforcement has on video — with undercover agents in Boston; Tarrytown, New York; and Manhattan. He was unaware that those he was plotting with were with the FBI, and that the intended target (a businessman staying in a hotel) was not real.
In one of the meetings, Korsiak allegedly described how he planned on using an AR-15 and a .09-mm pistol he owned, and asked for silencers to be provided. He also asked for a latex mask in order to dodge facial recognition technology, the criminal complaint stated. In another meeting, he said he would drive up to the intended target and shoot him from inside the vehicle, and planned on using a police uniform to escape capture afterward.
Korsiak was arrested in Tarrytown Wednesday night, and was expected to go before a judge on Thursday. After his arrest, a search of his Chevy Malibu allegedly uncovered an assault rifle, magazines of ammunition, a ghost gun, a bulletproof vest and a latex mask to try to hide his identity.
“The defendant was willing to travel over 300 miles in order to fulfill his depraved desire to be paid for taking another human’s life,” said FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll. The defendant displayed callous disregard for life and planned to conduct his act of violence in the middle of Manhattan.”
This marks the second time that Korsiak has been busted by federal agents in Maine, after he served prison time for stealing weapons from a gun dealer.
He was charged with one count of murder-for-hire and possession of a firearm after a felony conviction. If found guilty of both counts, he faces up to 25 years in prison.
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