Chester County Man Faces Charges After Hiring Undercover Cop As Hitman
CHESTER COUNTY, PA (CBS) -- After getting busted with thousands of dollars worth of heroin in Chester County, a 29-year-old man hired a hitman to take out a witness.
But it turns out that hitman was undercover law enforcement.
After Christopher Pickard of State College was arreseted in Chester County with more than 800 baggies of heroin, he believed someone was cooperating with investigators.
Chester County DA Tom Hogan says law enforcement got word Pickard wanted to hire a hitman.
"So the defendant was given a phone number, what the defendant didn't realize was the number was actually an undercover police officer," Hogan explained.
Hogan says Pickard worked out payment with the undercover officer.
"He would give the hitman $2,000 in cash and an ounce of dog-food, which is code for heroin," said Hogan.
After the undercover officer called to tell them the passenger was killed, additional charges were filed against Pickard and his girlfriend, Latrice Harrington, was arrested.
Hogan says, rather than facing a few years on drug charges, Pickard is facing a couple decades for solicitation to commit murder.