GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A New Jersey hairdresser accused of trying to hire a hitman she met through Tinder to kill her former boyfriend and his teenage daughter is now facing federal charges in connection with the alleged murder-for-hire plot.
Jaclyn Diiorio, 28, was indicted Wednesday on two counts of using interstate commerce facilities in an attempt to commission a murder for hire, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors allege Diiorio used her cellphone to communicate with a confidential informant she believed was a contract killer. Her alleged targets were her ex-boyfriend, Philadelphia Police officer Matthew O’Hanlon, and his 19-year-old daughter.
The indictment filed Sept. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania follows Diiorio’s arrest in April after authorities said the alleged plot began moving toward an actual payment.
Alleged Tinder Hitman Connection
According to Camden County prosecutors, Diiorio first connected with the undercover informant through Tinder.
The two allegedly exchanged phone calls and text messages between March 31 and April 3. During those conversations, prosecutors said, Diiorio expressed that she wanted her former boyfriend dead and disclosed that he was a police officer.
Their first in-person meeting allegedly took place at a Wawa in Runnemede on March 31.
Authorities said Diiorio later met the informant again at a Dollar General on April 4. During that meeting, she allegedly handed over $500 as a down payment and promised to pay approximately $12,000 to the supposed hitman in installments.
But the person Diiorio believed she was hiring was actually working as a confidential informant.
Authorities Alert Intended Victims
The confidential informant alerted Camden County detectives, who then contacted the Philadelphia Police Department.
Authorities notified O’Hanlon, the alleged intended target, before moving to arrest Diiorio.
Officers with the Gloucester Township Police Department Special Response Team subsequently arrested her.
During the arrest, authorities found an unlabeled bottle of pills that they suspected contained alprazolam, according to prosecutors.
Diiorio was initially charged in Camden County with two counts of first-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and one count involving possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Those county charges were later dismissed following the federal indictment, with federal prosecutors taking over the case.
Prosecutors Say Alleged Plot Was Not Her First Attempt
Federal prosecutors also allege the April incident was not Diiorio’s first attempt to arrange the killings.
According to reports, Diiorio allegedly told the informant that she had previously been deceived by people who sent her “fake pictures” that supposedly showed the killings had already been carried out.
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The alleged murder-for-hire effort came roughly one month after Diiorio and O’Hanlon’s relationship had ended, according to the report.
Authorities have not alleged that the former boyfriend or his daughter were physically harmed in connection with the alleged plot.
Defense Claims Entrapment
Diiorio’s attorney, Robert Gamburg, said his client plans to plead not guilty.
Before the federal indictment, Gamburg sought dismissal of the Camden County charges, arguing that investigators had relied on evidence involving entrapment.
The attorney characterized the confidential informant as a person who was desperate for money and allegedly provided unsolicited tips to the sheriff’s department in exchange for cash. Gamburg also argued that the informant’s communications with Diiorio were not monitored by detectives for several days before her arrest.
The defense’s claims will now be addressed as the federal case moves forward.
Federal Case Moves Toward Detention Hearing
Diiorio is currently in federal custody, prosecutors said. A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott W. Reid.
The federal indictment means Diiorio now faces the possibility of a significantly longer sentence if convicted.
Each federal murder-for-hire-related count can carry substantial penalties, and prosecutors said Diiorio faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
The case remains an allegation at this stage, and Diiorio is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What do you think about the allegations in this case? Do you think the defense’s entrapment argument could play a major role? Share your thoughts in the comments.