Philly man plotted to kill NJ judges and prosecutors from prison

Trenton, NJ – A Philadelphia man has been convicted of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot targeting five New Jersey government officials, including prosecutors and judges, while serving time for an earlier arson conviction, the state’s Attorney General announced Wednesday.

Stephen Smink, 62, was found guilty on August 15 of conspiracy to commit murder, five counts of attempted murder — all first-degree felonies — and two fourth-degree weapons offenses, following a multi-year investigation that uncovered a violent plan to retaliate against those involved in his 2014 criminal case.

Prosecutors said Smink conspired between January 2018 and December 2020 to have Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, First Assista

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