Why is rentahitman.com in the news?

"Rent-A-Hitman”, a fictitious website claims to offer hitmen to “solve problems”.

A woman in Michigan, US, has been found guilty of trying to hire a hitman through a fake website to kill her ex-husband.

Wendy Lynn Wein, 52, faces nine years in jail after she admitted to using a fictitious website called "Rent-A-Hitman” to try and get her ex-husband killed, according to US media reports. She was arrested in July last year for, what the police said, “solicitation to commit murder and illegal use of a computer to facilitate a crime”.

The fictitious website claims to offer hitmen to “solve problems”. She completed a “service request form” on the website and requested a consultation to help her with an “issue”, Michigan State Police had said in a statement last year. When she revealed that her target is her ex-husband, the website’s owner contacted the police and flagged them about the woman’s motives, the police said.

An undercover state trooper posed as a hitman and met the woman in a parking lot. She offered to pay him $5,000 to kill her ex-husband who lives in another state, the police said. Wein also gave him an upfront payment to cover travel expenses.

A 51-year old South Rockwood woman was arrested on July 17, 2020 by Troopers from the Monroe Post for Solicitation to Commit Murder & Illegal Use of a Computer to Facilitate a Crime. Wendy Wein was arraigned at the 1st District Court on July 21. pic.twitter.com/MNTSuxSPm2

— MSP First District (@MSPFirstDist) July 21, 2020

The owner of "Rent-A-Hitman” told the police that since he started the website in 2005, he has been contacted by a number of people requesting for crimes such as murders, school shootings and even a baby abduction. He claimed that the website has been responsible for preventing 130 murders because he turns over people who contact him for crimes to law enforcement agencies.

“Got a problem that needs resolving?” the website asks on its homepage. “Our highly trained Field Operatives strive to provide you with a free consultation in an effort to find the ideal solution for your particular situation,” it claims.