Routine burglary led to unravelling of plot
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Thursday July 10 2008
IT was a routine burglary of a family business two years ago that gave birth to one of the most riveting criminal trials of the year, even if the failed murder plot bore the hallmarks of a cringeworthy episode of 'America's Dumbest Criminals'.
Gardai respond to almost 25,000 burglaries in Ireland each year, but few standard theft inquiries lead to a trans-Atlantic murder conspiracy starring the FBI, ricin (the world's third deadliest toxin), Italian assassins for hire on the Internet, the 'Gerry Ryan Show' and alleged demands for threesomes, prostitutes, transvestites and swingers.
What intrigued gardai about the burglary at PJ Howard's business at Westgate Business Park in September 2006, was the fact that it had been an inside job. Two computers, some computer cables, a digital clock and a poster of old Irish money were missing, but whoever had been responsible had both the keys and the code to the alarm.
The investigation led gardai to the Two Mile Inn Hotel, Limerick. It also led to Assam Eid, an Egyptian-born poker dealer from Las Vegas, and his wife, Teresa Engle.
The Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to proceed with charges against Engle, but proffered charges of burglary and demanding €100,000 to cancel contracts on the life of PJ Howard and his two sons against Eid.
Gardai set about making their own inquiries about Eidunaware that their FBI colleagues in America were also making inquiries in relation to another conspiracy plot.
In late October 2006, the Irish-American police investigations and the realms of fantasy and reality collided.
The FBI searched the home of Assam Eid at Camden Cove in North Las Vegas where he lived with Engle and another wife, Lisa Eid. During a forensic examination of computers found in Mr Eid's home, several e-mails were recovered between Lyingeyes98@yahoo.ie and a Tony Luciano at Hire_hitman@yahoo.com.
Recipe
FBI agents also reported the discovery of a recipe for ricin on Mr Eid's computer.
Copies of telephone records and emails were flown back to Ireland, where gardai were stunned by their contents.
It emerged from their investigation that lyingeyes was none other than Sharon Collins, the long-term partner of PJ Howard, who was blissfully unaware that his lover was attempting to hire a hit man to kill him and his two sons.
Gardai believed that Tony Luciano, aka, hire_hitman, was Essam Eid, and after a nolle prosequi (decision not to prosecute) was entered in relation to the original charges, moved swiftly to re-arrest him.
Four-time married Engle claimed she and Eid were hired to kill the Howard family after Collins contacted them via their website hitmanforhire.com.
When news of the alleged conspiracy to murder was revealed to PJ Howard, who was still living with his partner, he was staggered. Even as damning evidence mounted against Sharon Collins, PJ Howard defended her, sealing his forgiveness with a kiss as he left the witness box. Had he not reported that burglary, PJ Howard may not have unravelled the threat to his life.
- Dearbhail McDonald
