'Start with one': Ala. plumber allegedly tried to hire hit man to kill his wife and 6 adult children

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (TCN) -- A business owner was taken into custody this week for allegedly trying to hire hit man and paying them a deposit to kill his wife and six children, all of whom are over age 21.

Court records filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama show Mohammad A.H. Mohammad was arrested by the FBI on a charge of use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

According to the criminal complaint, Mohammad and his wife, identified as S.A. in documents, are in the process of divorcing. Over the course of the last several years, he has been arrested multiple times on allegations of stalking and violating a protective order that his estranged wife filed against him. He was also arrested in November 2021 for allegedly assaulting one of his daughters, but the charges against him were dropped. The complaint alleges Mohammad installed multiple tracking devices on his wife and children’s cars. In December, he reportedly asked his wife if they could reconcile, but she refused. The next day, his daughter’s car was set on fire and burned "in a suspicious fire at her residence." He was arrested for violation of a protective order.

S.A., the wife, reportedly said in a protective order that Mohammad "has hurt me and my kids and used weapons against us." Mohammad also allegedly "said he wanted to shoot my daughter between the eyes."

S.A. said, "He always threatens me and my children with violence. He has put his hands on my kids and sent them to the emergency room. He has put a gun and knife against my kids' heads and throats. He has shot guns at us."

At a bond hearing in December, a witness told Mohammad, "If you hurt them, you’ll go to hell forever."

Mohammad reportedly responded, "No, God will reward me."

Mohammad was released on bond in February, and in August, he spoke with a witness who cooperated with the FBI’s investigation. On Aug. 11, Mohammad allegedly asked the witness if he could find someone to "take care" of his family. He reportedly "explained that he felt his pride and self-dignity had been destroyed throughout the falling-out with his family over the last few years" and that he would "die for self-dignity" and "die for pride."

Mohammad allegedly urged the witness to "find me somebody" and that he would pay the hit man. He reportedly compensated the witness for providing the information, and the witness began working with the FBI. An undercover agent with the FBI agreed to pose as the hit man.

In August, Mohammad purchased two Straight Talk Wireless cellphones and phone cards, one of which Mohammad allegedly told the witness to give to the undercover agent. Mohammad and the undercover agent met on Sept. 21, and Mohammad allegedly spoke about "how his family had turned against him." He claimed his estranged family "had set him up to be arrested and removed from his family home."

The criminal complaint says Mohammad told the agent that his wife had "multiple extramarital affairs and conspired to steal money and other assets from him." Then, he allegedly showed the agent pictures of the burned cars and other property.

Mohammad allegedly offered to pay the undercover agent $20,000 to kill his wife and $5,000 for each child.

In a secretly recorded conversation, the undercover agent told Mohammad he needed at least $2,000 of a deposit because he had to "knock down seven people."

Mohammad responded, "Start with one at least! One! Start with one."

The undercover agent said he was going to try to make his wife’s killing "look like a robbery." Mohammad said he would be able to pay the agent $20,000 within two weeks for the hit on his wife. He allegedly called his children "trash" and "cockroaches."

Mohammad handed the agent $550 as a down payment for the killings.

Mohammad was arrested on Monday, Sept. 23.

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