Jury Convicts Trio for Conspiracy to Commit Murder-for-Hire
Fort Myers, Florida / Thursday, October 8, 2026 – A federal jury has found Jesus Pujol Hernandez (Naples, 42), Miguel Marquez Romero (Naples, 30), and Paulo Sabon Montero (Naples, 55) guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and use of interstate facilities for murder-for-hire. Each faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearings will be held on January 27, 2027. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, testimony, and evidence presented at trial, in April 2025, the FBI was investigating Marquez in an unrelated investigation in the Southern District of Florida. On April 16, 2025, agents learned that Marquez had advised Sabon that he had a “sweet play” which involved a millionaire in Marco Island who wanted to kill their brother for $30,000. Marquez made plans to introduce Sabon to Hernandez—the person who put him onto the murder-for-hire—the following day. Sabon agreed and requested they receive payment upfront. As part of the investigation, FBI Miami coordinated with FBI Fort Myers and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to monitor Marquez’s apartment in Naples. Marquez, Hernandez, Sabon, and another individual were later detained.
Upon arrest, the FBI searched Hernandez’s pockets and located a large printed out photograph of the intended victim. The FBI also located latex gloves, a mask, a bandana, and more than $2,300 in Marquez’s vehicle. Subsequent investigation also revealed that Hernandez was on the phone with the intended victim’s brother when the group had met up in a grocery store parking lot earlier.
This case was investigated by the FBI (Miami Field Office) and FBI (Fort Myers Resident Agency), with assistance from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matt Redavid, Jesus M. Casas, and Patrick Darcey.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida
