N.Y.C. Cop — Who Is a Mom of 2 — Allegedly Tried to Hire Hitman to Kill Estranged Husband and Girl
A New York City police officer — who is also a mother — is accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill her estranged husband as well as a girl.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Valerie Cincinelli, 34, allegedly sought her boyfriend’s help in orchestrating the hits and gave him $7,000 in cash with the understanding he would hire the killer. (PEOPLE is not revealing the identity of the minor female allegedly targeted.)
Instead, investigators say the boyfriend contacted the FBI, eventually working with them as a confidential informant and wearing a recording device whenever he’d meet with Cincinelli to discuss the alleged attempted murder-for-hire plot.
His phone calls with Cincinelli — who has been an NYPD officer since 2007 — were also recorded.
The criminal complaint alleges Cincinelli, who has two children, concocted the scheme earlier this year and first approached her boyfriend about it back in February.
The complaint alleges Cincinelli withdrew $7,000 from a Long Island bank in mid-February, giving it to her boyfriend who converted the cash into gold coins — allegedly at the request of someone her boyfriend claimed was the hitman, but who actually didn’t exist.
Then, on May 13, Cincinelli’s boyfriend told her the fictitious killer was actually at her husband’s place of business, ready to carry out the hit. The complaint alleges she suggested the killing her carried out in “the hood” or “the ghetto” so “it would not look suspicious.”
She also allegedly wanted the killings spaced out by a week so police would not suspect she was involved.
According to the complaint, the boyfriend told Cincinelli the hitman had expressed reservations about killing the girl near her school.
“Run her the f–k over, how about that,” Cincinelli allegedly recommended.
The complaint states that on May 17, the FBI sent Cincinelli’s boyfriend a photograph, staged to make it look like her estranged husband had been murdered.
Cincinelli allegedly instructed the boyfriend to erase the message and any other texts referring to the hit.
When Long Island police who were working with the FBI told Cincinelli her husband had been killed, she allegedly cried “fake tears.”
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Cincinelli has been charged with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
She is being held without bail.
It was unclear Monday if she was represented by an attorney who could comment on the allegations, or if she has entered a plea to the charge.
The criminal complaint does not mention a motive for the alleged attempted killings.
Court records confirm the husband had filed for divorce last year, and that their case was headed to trial next month.
The New York Post reached out to Cincinelli’s father, who denied the allegations.
“They were married, they have a kid together. … There is no way on the planet my daughter would have someone try to murder him. That’s nonsense!” the dad said.
