Dad tries hiring wrong ‘hitman’ to kill his ex-wife over child support, feds say
An Indiana man has been sentenced to prison after prosecutors said he orchestrated a hitman scheme so he would no longer have to pay child support.
Narsan Lingala, 58, was accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill his ex-wife, according to a May 10 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Lingala’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.
The scheme began in May 2018 when Lingala was in jail for an unspecified incident, according to a criminal complaint. While in jail, he asked a fellow inmate if he knew of someone who could kill his former wife, investigators said.
The inmate pointed Lingala to his friend, “Manny,” who was actually an undercover FBI agent, court documents said. Lingala spoke to “Manny” and asked to meet with him.
The Noblesville resident traveled to New Jersey to meet with the undercover agent and brought along his girlfriend, Sandya Reddy, who pleaded guilty in 2019 for her role in the scheme.
Reddy, Lingala and “Manny” met in a van in New Jersey to discuss the price of murdering his ex-wife, according to the complaint. He also gave the undercover agent his former wife’s address and where he could find her during the day, court documents showed.
According to investigators, Lingala told “Manny,” “I want that woman to be out of my life. … She never comes back.”
Lingala and Reddy were arrested after the meeting ended.
Reddy told investigators that Lingala hated his ex-wife and wanted to kill her so he could get his children back and no longer have to pay child support. Lingala also threatened and tried to force Reddy to not plead guilty, court documents said.
Lingala was convicted of conspiring to commit murder for hire, traveling interstate or using interstate facilities with intent that a murder for hire be committed and attempting to tamper with a witness. He was sentenced to 18 and a half years in prison.
This story was originally published May 10, 2022 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Dad tries hiring wrong ‘hitman’ to kill his ex-wife over child support, feds say."
