A South Carolina man has been charged with attempting to hire a hit man to kill his black neighbor, hang the man’s body from a tree and burn a cross on the man’s lawn.
Brandon Cory Lecroy, 25, of Hodges, was indicted Tuesday on federal charges of solicitation to commit a crime of violence and use of interstate commerce facilities in commission of murder-for-hire, according to court documents.
The case against Lecroy is laid out in an affidavit written by a Lexington County deputy, who also serves on the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI’s Columbia Division.
The affidavit states that Lecroy reached out to a white supremacist organization in March seeking help killing his black neighbor. The FBI learned of Lecroy’s plea through a confidential informant.
In a March 20 telephone conversation recorded by the task force, Lecroy made an arrangement with a man to kill the neighbor, identified in the affidavit only by his initials. Unbeknownst to Lecroy, the supposed hit man was an undercover FBI agent.
In the call, Lecroy told the undercover agent that he wanted his neighbor dead and hanging from a tree, the document said. He also wanted a “flaming cross” left on the front yard.
“$500 and he’s a ghost,” Lecroy told the agent, according to the affidavit.
The agent told Lecroy that he was in Virginia, but Lecroy texted him photos of two intended targets, including the neighbor. He also gave the “hit man” the targets’ names, as well as the address of his neighbor.
Two days later, Lecroy reaffirmed the agreement in another recorded phone call, the affidavit said.
Read the affidavit laying out Lecroy’s alleged crimes below.
“Lecroy also provides (the agent) with further intelligence on when to best commit the murder, as well as plans to take over the victim’s property,” the affidavit said. “Lecroy also expresses to (the agent) that he wishes to obtain an 9mm handgun with two ‘clips.’ Lecroy stated that he wants a ‘ghost gun’ that is untraceable and not stolen.
“Lecroy also advised (the agent) that he has more jobs for him in the future.”
According to the court document, Lecroy met with the undercover agent April 9 in Greenwood. During that meeting, Lecroy pointed out the neighbor’s home and talked about his future targets.
He also gave the agent a $100 cash down payment on the neighbor’s murder, the affidavit said.
Lecroy was arrested the following day, court records show.
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