New York Man Accused of Hiring Hitman to Kill His Husband

According to the indictment, 54-year-old Daniel Sikkema is accused of conspiring with another individual, identified as CC-1, to carry out the murder in January 2024.

A New York man has been charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme that led to the death of his estranged husband in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The charges were announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York on Monday following the unsealing of a superseding indictment in the U.S. District Court.

According to the indictment, 54-year-old Daniel Sikkema is accused of conspiring with another individual, identified as CC-1, to carry out the murder in January 2024. Sikkema allegedly financed the plot during contentious divorce proceedings with the victim, a U.S. citizen who owned property and frequently traveled to Rio de Janeiro.

Prosecutors allege that Sikkema sent multiple payments to CC-1 and the co-conspirator’s romantic partner in Cuba, using a stolen identity and intermediaries to hide the source of the funds. On January 14, 2024, CC-1 allegedly carried out the murder in Rio de Janeiro. Four days later, CC-1 was arrested by Brazilian authorities in connection with the crime.

Authorities have charged Sikkema with four felony counts, including murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in death, murder-for-hire resulting in death, conspiracy to murder and maim a person in a foreign country, and passport fraud. If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence or potentially the death penalty.

U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon emphasized the gravity of the charges. "This office will pursue justice against those who murder United States citizens, whether at home or abroad," she said.

James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, described the alleged crime as a "cold-blooded plot" carried out in the midst of a turbulent divorce. "The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate any individual who orders the end of another's life, regardless of where the crime occurs," Dennehy added.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s New York Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s General Crimes Unit, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.