Sheriff Charged in Murder-For-Hire Scheme

Sheriff Raymond Monroe Martin was the top police officer in Gallatin County, Illinois for 20 years, having been elected 4 times to that post. However it's a safe bet that there will be no 5th term in that office. On 5/17/09 an arrest warrant was signed, charging Raymond Martin with 5 counts related to the sale and distribution of marijuana. See the criminal complaint here

Sheriff Martin had an accomplice who would sell the marijuana that he provided. He would provide him with as much as 20 pounds of pot every two weeks. They would then split the profits from the sale. When the accomplice told Martin that he wanted out of the business, Martin threatened the man, telling him that he could set him up on any charge he liked. The accomplice got scared and went to the authorities.

Over a period of several weeks the accomplice allowed the feds to record his conversations and activities with Sheriff Martin, eventually leading to Martin's arrest. At the time of his arrest the authorities found $100,000 in cash in a safe in his $300,000 home that he shared with his wife and five children. The house was mortgage-free even though the reported family income was less than $80,000.

But the story doesn't end there.

When Martin's 36-year-old wife Kristina Renee Martin and 20-year-old son Cody Ray Martin came to visit him at the jail on Saturday, 1/02/10, they were both promptly arrested. All three were charged on state murder-for-hire charges. Authorities claim that, while in jail, Sheriff Martin plotted with his wife and son to have witnesses against him in his upcoming trial killed. See the criminal complaint here. All three are in jail on $1 million bail.

 Although in jail Sheriff Martin is still collecting his $40,400 a year salary and is still technically sheriff of Gallatin County. One of his deputies has been named interim sheriff and his seat is up for election this year. Gallatin County's governing board sent the jailed sheriff a letter, urging him to resign.

"Personally, I think he is just an absolute embarrassment to the county," County Board Chairman Randy Drone said.

"Is it greed? Ignorance? I don't know," Drone said Tuesday before Sheriff Raymond Martin's first court appearance with his wife and 20-year-old son, who also are charged in the murder-for-hire scheme. "Arrogance — maybe that's it. Thinking he's so above the law he could actually get away with this.

"But getting re-arrested while still in jail? That's something."

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