Grapeland man guilty in solicitation of murder plot
Aug. 12—TYLER — A Grapeland man pled guilty to federal violations Friday, July 12 in the Eastern District of Texas.
According to U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston, Reynaldo Campos, Jr., 44, pled guilty to murder for hire Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell.
In April, Reynaldo Campos, Jr., 44, and Robin Pittman, also known as Robin Hill, 42, were named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Tyler charging them with murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire; solicitation to commit murder for hire and conspiracy to solicit murder for hire; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, on Feb. 9, 2022, Campos contacted an individual who he believed was a hitman, but who was in fact an undercover federal agent, and solicited the "hitman" to murder a former associate of Campos, claiming the intended victim had either stolen drugs from him or owed him money.
Campos discussed the intended murder with the agent on multiple occasions over the next several weeks.
On April 8, Campos and his girlfriend, Robin Pittman, traveled together from Houston County to Tyler to discuss the murder, to provide the "hitman" with a handgun to be used for the murder, and to provide the "hitman" with information about the intended victim.
On April 13, Campos and Pittman again traveled together from Houston County to Tyler to discuss the murder and to provide the "hitman" with approximately one gallon of Phenylacetone/P2P, which is a chemical used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and a shotgun as partial payment for the murder of the intended victim.
Pittman pleaded guilty on Aug. 9 2022, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and is awaiting sentencing.
Campos faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble.
