A Florida man, 40-year-old Michael Shane Fullerton, has been charged with four felony counts involving a murder for hire attempt.
Stone County Sheriff Lance Bonds says Fullerton was first arrested in late January and charged with felony counts of financial identity fraud, non-financial identity fraud, and theft by receiving, as well as not having a driver’s license in possession and driving on a suspended driver’s license.
During Fullerton’s incarceration, Sheriff Bonds says phone calls were intercepted by investigators with uniquely identified conversations between the Florida man and a co-conspirator.
Through these conversations, investigators gathered information leading to charges of conspiracy to intimidate a witness, solicitation to commit capital murder, solicitation to commit abuse of public trust and conspiracy for witness tampering.
Sheriff Bonds says in a February 6th telephone conversation, Fullerton and the co-conspirator discussed a witness, the owner of the vehicle in connection with the theft by receiving charge.
Fullerton is heard saying to the co-conspirator his mother caused problems for him by reporting the car stolen. The co-conspirator replied, “That will be dropped. The prosecuting attorneys Office later received an affidavit from the same witness recanting the stolen nature of the vehicle.
In a February 21st phone call, Fullerton and the co-conspirator discussed the whereabouts of two of the defendants underlying charges, financial identity fraud and non-financial identity fraud. The conversation stemmed from the co-defendant having possession of documents belonging to Fullerton. In the call, the two discuss how no one is going to get a hold of him and how both are committed to informing anyone who inquires the co-defendant is either in New Mexico or Mexico.
On March 5th, the two engage in another recorded telephone conversation with Fullerton commanding, urging and requesting the co-conspirator “work your magic,” “be cold” and “tactfully kill her.” He then instructs the co-conspirator to go to a local pawn shop with his father where he knows the owner and select a firearm. Fullerton then tells the co-conspirator to begin working with his father to learn how to shoot the firearm. Several times through the conversation, the defendant tells the co-conspirator to be ruthless.
Fullerton remains in the Stone County jail on a $30,000 bond awaiting a circuit court date.
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