{"id":51234,"date":"2024-05-06T17:55:07","date_gmt":"2024-05-06T17:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/05\/06\/fort-cavazos-soldier-arrested-for-alleged-role-in-murder-for-hire-plot\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:05:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:05:04","slug":"fort-cavazos-soldier-arrested-for-alleged-role-in-murder-for-hire-plot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2024\/05\/06\/fort-cavazos-soldier-arrested-for-alleged-role-in-murder-for-hire-plot\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Cavazos soldier arrested for alleged role in murder-for-hire plot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Officials arrested an Army sergeant earlier this month for allegedly attempting to help his brother arrange a murder-for-hire plot, according to state police in Connecticut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sgt. Jeremiah Peikert, a soldier stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, was taken into custody May 2 and charged for his alleged role in the unsuccessful scheme from two years ago to recruit a hitman to murder four people, including two minors, police papers and court documents show<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While not the only alleged murder-for-hire plot<\/a> involving a service member to be foiled in recent years, this case revolves around a scheme from 2022, when Peikert\u2019s older brother Joshua \u2014 already incarcerated in Connecticut \u2014 allegedly asked his unnamed cellmate to solicit a hitman to carry out the plan, according to court documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt no time did I have any intention of hiring a hitman or committing any violence,\u201d the unidentified inmate later told investigators, according to court documents. Instead, he said he played along in the plot against an unnamed adult woman, her children and her boyfriend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To arrange the plan, the cellmate shared that he told the soldier\u2019s brother Joshua he would need $10,000 per person, plus a $500 \u201cfinder\u2019s fee,\u201d with half paid up front and the other half presented following completion of the crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\t