North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-for-Hire Plot

PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Xin Guang Guo, 48, of Plymouth, North Carolina, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III on two counts of using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire.

The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in October of last year and charged by indictment the same month, arising from his effort to pay another individual $30,000 to kill two people residing in the Philadelphia area.

As detailed in court filings, on September 30, 2025, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF") received information that the defendant wanted to contract a hitman to murder his former business partner and business partner's paramour ("Person-1" and "Person-2").

Investigators received copies of text messages written by the defendant, whom they were able to identify as Xin Guang Guo, detailing his plan and providing identifying information about Person-1 and Person-2.

In subsequent phone calls monitored by the ATF, Guo discussed the terms of the contract, in which he would pay $15,000 for each murder. Guo also arranged to meet an individual he thought was the hitman in Philadelphia on October 6, so Guo could give him $2,500 to buy a gun.

At the October 6 meeting, the defendant gave the $2,500 to an ATF undercover officer and requested photographic proof that Person-1 and Person-2 had been murdered before he would pay the remaining balance. The agreement was made, Guo departed in his vehicle, and shortly thereafter was arrested by the ATF without incident.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15 and faces a maximum possible term of 20 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McCool.