A man in Pennsylvania has been arrested after an informant he had asked for help instead contacted police, which exposed an active murder-for-hire plot.
Officers with the Upper Dublin Police Department first learned of the alleged plot when a man visited their office on Tuesday, February 10.
He told officers that Eric Berkowitz had asked for his help in his mission to kill his ex-girlfriend and the two men who entered her life following their split, according to NBC Philadelphia.
He claimed that Berkowitz reached out to him via Facebook Messenger on February 10 and asked him to come to his home in Dresher, Pennsylvania. It was there that officials said that Berkowitz allegedly explained his plan to go to upstate New York so that he could kill the three people.
According to the officials, the informant said that Berkowitz planned to set his ex-girlfriend’s home on fire and shoot anyone who tried to escape from the residence.
The informant claimed that Berkowitz showed off a gun and a loaded magazine during their meeting. Officials also said that Berkowitz was prepared to pay over $5,000 in cash for the help, according to the informant.
Police were told that Berkowitz intended to exercise the plan at his ex-girlfriend’s New York home on Thursday, February 12. Once authorities received the tip, they started to look into Berkowitz and his actions.
As police watched Berkowitz, they saw him get into an Uber on February 11. Officials then stopped the car, according to the outlet. Police asked the Uber driver where they were going, and he gave police the address that was requested. After police confirmed it matched where the ex-girlfriend lived in New York, Berkowitz was arrested and taken into custody.
Police also said that he was found carrying a large amount of money at the time of his arrest, as well as a loaded gun.
Berkowitz has been charged with criminal solicitation of murder, attempted murder and other related charges.
He attended his first court hearing on Wednesday, February 11, where a public defender argued he should get bail as Berkowitz silently stood to his side. Meanwhile, prosecutors argued that no amount of money could keep people safe from a person like Berkowitz, according to NBC Philadelphia.
Despite the public defender’s argument, the judge determined that Berkowitz will be held without bail.
His public defender is not publicly listed and was unable to provide a comment on the arrest. It is also not currently clear if Berkowitz has entered any pleas.
The informant has not publicly shared his name. However, he did speak to NBC Philadelphia, telling them that he and Berkowitz met when they went to school together. The informant added that he and Berkowitz had not been in contact for several years at the time he reached out for help, which is why he initially agreed to meet with him.
Additionally, the informant allegedly told the outlet that he went to police immediately once he realized what type of “help” Berkowitz was asking for.
The Upper Dublin Police Department did not immediately respond to Luxury Handbag Shopping’s request for comment.
