VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A Virginia Beach woman was sentenced Wednesday for attempting to hire someone to kill witnesses in her son's murder case.
Marie Leary
Marie Leary was facing five counts of soliciting murder, each punishable by 40 years in prison. She pleaded guilty to two charges with a plea agreement and was sentenced to serve 10 years.
Marie Leary's son Marquel Leary, is serving a 41 year prison sentence for killing Taiwan Simon in July 2016.
Marie Leary tried to pay an undercover police officer, posing as a hit man, $2,500 to kill co-defendants and witnesses in Marquel's murder trial.
In court on Wednesday, the judge noted that Marie was potentially facing 80 years in prison for the two charges she pleaded guilty to as part of the plea agreement. She was ultimately given a 20 year sentence with 10 years suspended, leaving 10 years to serve, under the conditions that she have good behavior during her incarceration.
Upon her release, she will be on supervised probation and cannot have any contact with any of the witnesses and she must pay the full costs of the court.
News 3 attempted to speak to Leary's lawyer and family, but they declined.
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