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July 20, 2009

Perkins sentenced on murder for hire

By Carl Keith Greene / Staff Writer

Knox County’s Randall Perkins, already serving a 20-year sentence in state custody on drug charges, was sentenced Thursday to seven years and eight months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a murder for hire scheme.

In explaining the severity of the sentence, U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove asked Perkins, “What else can we do to make you understand to respect the law?” He added the sentence will, “keep you away from criminal acts.”

Randall Perkins’ brother Bill Perkins, was sentenced to five years and eight months in March for conspiring with Randall in the scheme.

The brothers were arrested in the murder scheme after Randall Perkins, who was awaiting trial on the state drug charges, attempted to hire another inmate, who became a confidential informant, to kill the key witness in the case.

The informant told the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent of the scheme and assisted in the investigation.

According to the statement filed by the ATF agent, the process began after May 8, 2008.

Randall had told the informant to contact his brother, Bill, about the plan.

Six days later, the informant, wired for sound, went to see Bill Perkins.

Brother Bill told the informant he knew nothing of the plot.

On May 20, Bill Perkins again told the informant on the phone that he still had no knowledge of the plan.

By the end of May, Bill Perkins had been briefed by his brother Randall.

On June 11, the informant and an undercover agent appeared at Bill Perkins’ home and were given a .22-caliber rifle and 16 rounds of ammunition.

June 25th saw the informant visiting Randall Perkins in jail with a cellular phone photo that appeared to portray a dead man.

The photo was a mock-up of a murder scene staged by police.

The next day, Bill Perkins was arrested and he, along with Randall, were charged in the murder for hire plot.

According to a court source, the federal sentence will be served immediately by Randall Perkins, and the state court will decide whether the remainder of its sentence will be imposed concurrently with the federal sentence or consecutively, once the federal sentence is completed.

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