Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Pasco Murder-for-Hire Scheme

Joseph Lee Musson of Hudson was sentenced this week to 25 years in federal prison in relation to a murder-for-hire scheme he was involved in last year. Musson pleaded guilty in January to three charges: using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire, carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faced a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Instead, he was sentenced to five years, ten years and twenty years – the first and third sentences to run consecutively to each other and concurrently to the second – for a total of 25 years. Musson was sentenced as an Armed Career Criminal because of his four prior convictions for sale of cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office arrested Musson in July 2009 on drug charges after he sold 100 MDMA (ecstasy) pills to Robert Shane Ballard, a confidential informant. Musson learned Ballard’s identity and planned to have him killed.

Detectives in Pasco and Pinellas Counties were approached by another informant in September 2009 who indicated that Musson had approached him in August to kidnap Ballard and “put a bullet” in his head to ensure that he did not show up for Musson’s ecstasy trial. Musson provided the source with a color photo of Ballard and Ballard’s home address.

Law enforcement recorded several conversations between the new source and Musson in which they discussed the murder plan. Ultimately, Musson gave the source a .45 caliber handgun to kill the informant. The agreement payment for the murder was to be three ounces of cocaine, speakers, a dirt bike, and $1000.

After learning he was under investigation, Musson fled the area but was later apprehended in Las Vegas.

At the sentencing in Tampa’s federal court, Musson’s defense attorney asked the judge to sentence Musson to 20 years. He argued that Musson was willing to share information with federal officials on grow houses, drug dealings and gun violations. He also asked the judge to consider that Musson was addicted to drugs when he plotted the murder.