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Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Trying to Hire Someone to Kill a Witness in a Federal Case
BOSTON, MA—A former Attleboro resident was sentenced today in federal court on
charges arising from his effort to hire a hit man to kill twelve potential witnesses in a federal
case.
Acting United States Attorney Michael K. Loucks and Warren T. Bamford, Special
Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Office, announced today
that JAMES BUNCHAN, age 59, formerly of Attleboro, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge
Douglas P. Woodlock to 300 months' imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised
release. BUNCHAN was convicted by a federal jury on May 5, 2009 of using the U.S. mails to
commission a murder for hire and of soliciting a violent federal crime.
Evidence presented during the six day trial proved that in the summer of 2006
BUNCHAN, while an inmate at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility pending trial in a
major federal fraud case, asked another inmate to help him find a hit man to kill the people
BUNCHAN expected to testify at his fraud trial. The inmate contacted the FBI, who set up a
sting operation in which the inmate tried to introduce BUNCHAN to an undercover agent posing
as a hit man. Video and audio recordings showed BUNCHAN carefully reviewing the people he
suspected would be the "star witnesses" in his case and deciding, in each instance, whether to
have only the witness killed, or family members as well, including grandparents and children.
The evidence also showed that BUNCHAN considered having the prosecutor on his
fraud case killed, or framed for drug dealing, as well. BUNCHAN eventually sent a letter to the
supposed hit man offering $160,000 in exchange for the murder of 12 people, although the
prosecutor assigned to BUNCHAN’s fraud case was never put on the final hit list.
Acting United States Attorney Michael K. Loucks said, “James Bunchan is one of the
most evil defendants that we have ever prosecuted in this District. The evidence of his cold and
calculated attempt to kill witnesses in a case against him, and his consideration of killing a
federal prosecutor, is chilling. Fortunately, Bunchan was not able to follow through with his
plan. We are pleased that the Court recognized the severity of this case and sentenced Bunchan
accordingly.”
Judge Woodlock sentenced BUNCHAN to the maximum possible penalty under the two
statutes of conviction.
BUNCHAN’s underlying fraud case, in which he was convicted after trial in June 2007,
involved a large Ponzi scheme in which BUNCHAN and others defrauded about 400 victims,
mostly Cambodian immigrants, of about $30 million dollars. BUNCHAN is presently serving a
35-year term for that offense.
The murder for hire case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with
assistance from security personnel at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility and MCI Cedar
Junction. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew E. Lelling and William J. Trach
of Loucks’ Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Unit. Press Releases | Boston Home
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