CU Branch Manager Accused of Attempting to Hire Hitman to Kill Brother-in-Law

In April, Reshma Massarone posted a public message on LinkedIn that she was excited about starting her new job as the Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union branch manager in Woodstock, N.Y.

Today, the 39-year-old mother of two children is in federal custody for allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to murder her brother-in-law.

A criminal complaint charged Massarone with murder-for-hire and solicitation to commit a crime of violence. Appearing before Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy during a hearing on Monday in a White Plains courtroom for the Southern District of New York, Massarone was advised of her rights and the charges against her. Following a 25-minute detention hearing, Judge McCarthy ordered Massarone to be held in federal custody because she is considered to be a danger to the community.

“Reshma Massarone has been placed on administrative leave. MHV has no reason to believe her personal legal matters are connected to the credit union in any way, and we are unable to offer additional comments,” the $1.4 billion Mid-Hudson Valley, based in Kingston, N.Y., said in a prepared statement Wednesday.

Before joining the credit union five months ago, Massarone had worked at seven banks since 2002, starting out as a teller for TD Bank, according to her LinkedIn page. After that, she worked as an assistant manager for HSBC; a personal banker for Wells Fargo; a branch manager for PNC, Citi Bank and Rhinebeck Bank; and a client experience manager for Kearny Bank.

On July 20, Massarone contacted “Individual-1,” a law enforcement officer in Guyana, using Facebook messenger and solicited this Individual-1’s services to murder her brother-in-law in exchange for $10,000, according to the criminal complaint.

It turned out Massarone knew Individual-1 because he was friends for years with her brother-in-law and his wife. Whenever they traveled to Guyana, Individual-1 traveled with the couple to provide security, according to the complaint.

“Massarone told Individual-1 that because of the preexisting friendship between Individual-1 and the (brother-in-law), Massarone believed that the (brother-in-law) and his wife would never expect that Individual-1 would murder the (brother-in-law),” the criminal complaint read.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 20, Massarone and Individual-1 exchanged messages on Facebook messenger that read in part:

Massarone: You take care of business and you be a rich man.

Individual-1: I do hope that when we get rid of (the Victim) for you, you don’t roll us over.

Massarone: I swear. You have other jobs for you.

Massarone: Swear on my kids.

Although Individual-1 said he would not commit the murder himself, he knew a hitman who could get the job done, according to the criminal complaint.

Massarone agreed to wire Individual-1 in Guyana $2,500 as a down payment. The criminal complaint showed video surveillance photos of Massarone wiring the funds from a Walgreens Western Union kiosk in Orange County, N.Y., on July 21.

On July 24, the brother-in-law and his wife went to the U.S. Embassy in Guyana to report Massarone’s crime after learning about it from Individual-1 and that the hit was expected to happen on July 25. On that day, Individual-1 and Massarone discussed the murder plan over their cell phones.

A recording of the talk read in part:

Individual-1: We have to do it in a fast way and a smart way. They shoot him from the road you understand. So why I call you back you understand to make sure I let you know everything goes as planned and there is no turning back.

Massarone: Right. No turning back.

Although the criminal complaint did not specify Massarone’s motive, the brother-in-law told law enforcement officials that he and Massarone had an ongoing civil litigation matter pending in New York.

According to the criminal complaint, on Thursday, July 27, Massarone and Individual-1 continued to discuss the plan to murder her brother-in-law over their cell phones.

Individual-1 told her that that the hitman was going to make the murder look like a robbery.

According to the criminal complaint, at the end of that conversation, Massarone said, “I believe you. I have to go back to work. Ok, make sure you delete me.”

Again, on Saturday, Aug. 16, Massarone continued to communicate with Individual-1 about hiring the hitman, according to the criminal complaint.

READ MORE: Reshma Massarone’s Criminal Complaint.