Two men from New Mexico who were arrested in November in connection with a murder-for-hire plot are also allegedly linked to a gruesome mission to kill Justin Bieber, according to the New York State Police.
Police said that Mark Staake, 41, and his nephew Tanner Ruane, 23, are accused of being sent by convicted killer Dana Martin, 45, to murder some acquaintances in Vermont. Martin is serving two life sentences for the rape and murder of a teenaged girl in Vermont in October 2000.
But Martin is reportedly also obsessed with Bieber and wanted Staake and Ruane to castrate and kill Bieber when the singer was in New York at the end of November for two concerts, police said, according to KRQE. He even supposedly put a bounty on each of the young star's testicles and allegedly ordered them to strangle Bieber with a tie.
The pair were allegedly poised to strike as Bieber played sold-out concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden on November 28 and 29. But the star was allegedly spared after Martin told jail wardens about the plot.
Police say that Staake had befriended Martin in prison.
In November, New Mexico State Police warned cops in Vermont that Staake and Ruane were on their way to Vermont area to kill some people. The pair was in Canada and entered the U.S. at a border crossing in Vermont. That is where U.S. Custom agents ran a check on the men and discovered Staake was in violation of felony probation and took him into custody.
Ruane was allowed to go free, but, New Mexico cops had a warrant for out on him for two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
Then New York state troopers arrested Ruane in the Albany area the night after he stayed in a hotel. Troopers said they found documents connected to the Vermont murder plot in Ruane's car.
State Police investigators say they also recovered a hand-written drawing of a depiction of Justin Bieber inside the vehicle being held as evidence.
Monday, May 20 2013 6:05 PM EDT2013-05-20 22:05:22 GMT
A spate of hate-fueled attacks on gay men in New York, including a killing in the heart of one of its most gay-friendly neighborhoods, is stirring up anxiety, disbelief and outrage.
A spate of hate-fueled attacks on gay men in New York, including a killing in the heart of one of its most gay-friendly neighborhoods, is stirring up anxiety, disbelief and outrage.
Three people have been charged with taking bribes from a Chinese government-supported institution in exchange for restricted research from a New York University lab.
Three people have been charged with taking bribes from a Chinese government-supported institution in exchange for restricted research from a New York University lab.
Sunday, May 19 2013 10:57 PM EDT2013-05-20 02:57:40 GMT
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
The federal judge presiding over civil rights challenges to the stop-and-frisk practices of the New York Police Department has no doubt where she stands with the government.
Friday, May 17 2013 5:54 PM EDT2013-05-17 21:54:45 GMT
The big game will be played in New Jersey but the big party will be in New York City. Organizers call it "Super Bowl Boulevard."
The big game will be played in New Jersey but the big party will be in New York City. Organizers call it "Super Bowl Boulevard": it will stretch from 44th Street on Broadway all the way to 34th Street.
Friday, May 17 2013 8:21 AM EDT2013-05-17 12:21:42 GMT
A new photo exhibit at an art gallery in Chelsea is drawing the ire of residents who are the artist's subjects, unknowingly.
A new photo exhibit at an art gallery in Chelsea is drawing the ire of residents who are the artist's subjects, unknowingly. The artist, Arne Svenson, is reportedly taking the photos through their TriBeCa building windows. In some photos, the residents are bending over, sleeping and cleaning.
Thursday, May 16 2013 6:06 PM EDT2013-05-16 22:06:34 GMT
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
A smuggling ring that made a fortune selling more than a million cartons of untaxed cigarettes in New York may have funneled some of the illicit proceeds to terrorist groups, authorities said.
Just one week after Randy Jackson announced he would not be returning to the judges table after this season of American Idol come reports that Nicki Minaj will also be vacating her post.
Just one week after Randy Jackson announced he would not be returning to the judges table after this season of American Idol come reports that Nicki Minaj will also be vacating her post.
TV Guide drops in on Jayma Mays, who's putting her baking skills to a good cause. Jayma is one of the stars involved in Cookies for Kids, raising money for kids fighting cancer.
TV Guide drops in on Glee star Jayma Mays, who's putting her baking skills to a good cause. Jayma is one of the stars involved in Cookies for Kids, raising money for kids fighting cancer. Get the 411 here.
Justin Bieber
Tanner D. Ruane (New York State Police photo)
