Cops: Inmate tried to have family killed

By Larry Hartstein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A 35-year-old inmate facing an aggravated child molestation charge offered an undercover officer $75,000 to kill his family so they could not testify against him, Gwinnett County police said.

Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office Raymond Wesner

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Raymond Wesner of Duluth offered the money to an officer who posed as a hit man in the Gwinnett County Jail, police said. Wesner was additionally charged with three counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and threatening a witness.

According to police, Wesner's cellmate told authorities on Aug. 17 that Wesner was trying to get him to kill Wesner's family. The intended targets were Wesner's 36-year-old wife, 16-year-old stepson and 11-year-old stepdaughter, police said.

"Through the coordinated efforts of the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office, Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office, and Gwinnett County Police Homicide Unit, they were able to place an undercover investigator from the Homicide Unit in the jail with Mr. Wesner who posed as a ‘hit man,'" said Cpl. Edwin Ritter, a police spokesman.

"Mr. Wesner offered to pay the undercover officer $75,000 to murder his family prior to his [bond] hearing on Monday, Aug. 23."

Ritter said he did not know the details of that alleged conversation.

Originally arrested in April, Wesner remains in jail without bond.