Florida woman accused of paying hitman with Covid PPP loan

Jasmine Martinez is accused of first-degree murder and using the $15,000 she got for her beauty salon business during the pandemic to have a hit carried out

New court records show that a hitman hired to kill a Miami federal airport officer may have been paid using a loan to help small businesses during the pandemic.

Jasmine Martinez, 33, is accused of spending the $15,000 she got for her beauty salon business through the federal Payroll Protection Program. She allegedly withdrew more than $10,000 in the days before the murder plot.

Ex-con Javon Carter was allegedly paid to kill Transportation Security Administration Le’Shonte Jones, 24, on 3 May, and is accused of shooting her numerous times outside the Coral Bay Cove apartments, as her 3-year-old child stood next to her.

“Her daughter witnessed this heinous crime,” said Lieutenant Vernon Williams of the Miami-Dade Police Homicide Bureau. The mother was pronounced dead at the scene.

Carter took a video himself on his phone counting a large amount of cash after being paid by Ms Martinez, it is claimed. “Just another day at the office,” he said in the video with the cash, allegedly.

Ms Martinez denies the charges against her. “Jasmin has always denied any involvement in this since the first time law enforcement approached her last summer,” said Fallon Zirpoli, Ms Martinez’s lawyer.

In June, Ms Jones's family made a public plea in front of Miami-Dade Police headquarters — and raised a reward of $10,000 for information that could help successfully prosecute their daughter’s killer.

“My baby had a future somebody took from her. I did the best with my children as a single mom, and I did a wonderful job. Please, y’all, say something,” said Ms Jones's mother Darlene Dukes. “What man in his right mind would chase a woman with a baby to murder her?”

Ms Martinez faces first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges, for the killing of Ms Jones.

A number of people who have received the Pandemic-Relief Loan scores have faced charges after not spending the money on their businesses but things like vacations, jewellery and cars. According to researchers at the University of Texas — an estimated 15 per cent of pandemic loans were potentially used fraudulently.

The Independent has contacted Ms Zirpoli for further comment.