Colonie man admits to trying to hire hitman to kill romantic rival, dump body at hog farm

A Colonie man has pleaded guilty to trying to hire someone to kill a man and then dump his body at a farm where hogs could eat it.

Jeal Sutherland, 57, admitted that between November 2024 and January 2024, he used his cell phone to discuss the murder-for-hire plot.

The person he was speaking with was a confidential source for investigators. He told agents that Sutherland asked him to set fire to a vehicle belonging to the mother of the intended target, who was in prison.

The potential victim was potentially going to be released in late January. He shares a child with Sutherland’s current romantic partner, according to court documents.  

The confidential source told investigators that he has acted as an “enforcer” for Sutherland to intimidate people who owe him money.

Through a series of recorded conversations in December 2024 and January of this year, Sutherland told the informant that he wanted the person killed and his body disposed of at a hog farm in Pennsylvania using a van he could rent from a nun. The van would cost $250 and the hog farmer would need to get $1,000 to dispose of the body, according to court documents. Sutherland was going to forgive the source’s debt in exchange.

On Jan. 24, Sutherland and the confidential source met up to cash a check at a credit union in Colonie. The source got paid $100 for cashing the check.

During this meeting. Sutherland and the source called the “farmer,” who was actually an undercover FBI special agent, and discussed the plan.   

The “farmer” demanded advance payment and the confidential source agreed and offered the farmer some “booze,” the criminal complaint stated.

On Jan. 26, Sutherland and the source met for breakfast in Watervliet and then drove to a bowling alley in Latham. Prosecutors then say Sutherland told the source to follow him to a Schenectady address of one of his relatives. He gave the source an EZPass, bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon and $1,450 in cash, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The intended victim was not harmed.

Sutherland was arrested in January of this year. He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Wednesday to use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

Sutherland faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 when sentenced on Sept. 22.