Boston man sentenced for trying to hire hit man to kill ex-wife because of her 'Westernization'

BOSTON (TCD) -- A 47-year-old man will spend just under eight years in prison for trying to hire a contract killer to murder his ex-wife and her new boyfriend because the woman reportedly wouldn’t allow him to see his children.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced Friday, April 26, that a judge sentenced Mohammed Chowdhury to 92 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for two counts of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. He pleaded guilty to the charges in January. 

In November 2022, someone first reported Chowdhury to law enforcement after he sought to have his ex-wife killed. Chowdhury reportedly paid someone to carry out the killing, but the individual took the money and didn’t follow through. According to prosecutors, Chowdhury "subsequently told the individual that he needed the murder done as soon as possible, and he claimed he would "get the money to do so, even robbing a store if necessary to obtain the funds."

The individual gave law enforcement Chowdhury’s phone number. The U.S. attorney’s office said officials used an undercover agent to speak with the defendant about the plot to kill his ex-wife.

Between December 2022 and January 2023, Chowdhury met multiple times with the undercover agents posing as a hit man and associates. According to prosecutors, Chowdhury told the agents his ex-wife wouldn’t allow him to see his kids, and he was frustrated with his ex-wife’s "Westernization and independent thinking."

Chowdhury reportedly explained that he wanted the agents to "rob and beat his ex-wife and her boyfriend so that he would not be a suspect."

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Chowdhury asked the agents to leave no evidence. He reportedly gave them photos of his ex and her new boyfriend and provided details about where they lived and their schedules. Chowdhury offered to pay $4,000 per killing, and he agreed to give a deposit of $500.

On Jan. 17, 2023, prosecutors said Chowdhury met with the undercover agents to pay them the deposit and confirm the murder-for-hire plot, but he was taken into federal custody instead.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy commented, "Mr. Chowdhury’s disturbing conduct — in combination with the misogyny and dehumanization he expressed in trying to carry out this plot — speak volumes about how dangerous he is. This case represents the most extreme form of domestic violence, and we will use all tools at our disposal to protect women in abusive relationships."

According to prosecutors, in October 2019, Chowdhury was previously charged with violating an abuse prevention order, which prohibited him from abusing, contacting, or coming within a certain distance of his ex. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Chowdhury "pleaded to sufficient facts and received a continuance without a finding."

MORE:

• Boston Man Sentenced to Nearly Eight Years in Prison for Murder-For-Hire Plot Targeting His Former Wife and Her Boyfriend - U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts
• Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-For-Hire Targeting His Wife and Her Boyfriend, 1/25/2024 - U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts 
• Man tried to hire hit man to kill his wife, her boyfriend because she wouldn’t let him see his kids, 1/26/2024 - TCD