KC Man Sentenced to 32 Years in Federal Prison for Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy That Put Families and Children in the Line of Fire

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI — A Kansas City man will spend more than three decades in federal prison after a court determined he played a central role in a prolonged murder-for-hire conspiracy marked by repeated shootings, open-area violence, and deliberate targeting of not only an intended victim but members of that victim’s family. The sentence brings a close to a case that federal prosecutors described as a sustained campaign of contracted violence carried out while the defendant was already under federal supervision.

Thomas D. Clegg, 42, was sentenced on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips in the Western District of Missouri to a total of 32 years in federal prison, with no possibility of parole. The sentence reflects consecutive terms imposed for conspiracy to commit murder for hire, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and violation of a prior term of federal supervised release stemming from an earlier weapons conviction.

Court records show that Clegg committed the murder-for-hire conspiracy and firearms offenses while actively serving federal supervised release from a 2012 felon-in-possession case, a factor the court weighed heavily in determining both punishment and incapacitation. Federal authorities emphasized that the case was not an isolated act of violence, but a sustained effort to carry out a paid killing over an extended period.

According to evidence presented at trial, Clegg conspired with others between August 19, 2021, and June 13, 2022, to murder an individual identified in court documents as “J.C.” as well as members of J.C.’s family. The agreement involved payment in cash and marijuana, with prosecutors establishing that the objective extended beyond intimidation and into repeated attempts to carry out the killing.

The conspiracy escalated into direct violence on multiple occasions. On August 19, 2021, Clegg shot J.C. in the leg and back in the parking lot of Ugly Joe’s bar in Kansas City. The attack did not end the effort. On May 25, 2022, prosecutors showed that Clegg again located J.C. and opened fire, this time shooting him multiple times in the parking lot of a strip mall at 4010 Sterling Avenue.

That second shooting unfolded in a densely populated commercial area that included an accounting firm, a daycare facility, and a fitness center. During the gunfire, a woman was sitting in her vehicle with two children while attempting to pick up her third child from the daycare. Her vehicle was struck by bullets, and the driver’s side window was shattered by gunfire. No occupants were physically injured, a fact authorities noted did nothing to diminish the severity of the risk posed to children and bystanders.

Investigators later recovered and analyzed Clegg’s cellphones following his arrest. Search warrants executed on the devices revealed extensive text message exchanges between Clegg and co-conspirators. Federal prosecutors presented these messages at trial to demonstrate that Clegg had been hired to kill J.C. and that the conspiracy included persistent efforts to track J.C.’s movements and identify the whereabouts of his family members in furtherance of the plot.

The digital evidence, combined with ballistic findings, witness testimony, and surveillance data, formed the backbone of the government’s case. Prosecutors argued successfully that the communications reflected planning, payment discussions, and an ongoing commitment to complete the contracted killing rather than spontaneous acts of violence.

In May 2025, Clegg pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He later proceeded to trial on the murder-for-hire conspiracy charge. After a five-day jury trial, he was found guilty, setting the stage for the consecutive sentencing imposed this week.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, working in coordination with the Kansas City Police Department, the Independence Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Federal prosecutors credited the interagency effort with dismantling a conspiracy that, left unchecked, posed an ongoing threat to multiple lives.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Heather Siegele of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri. Federal officials stated that the length and structure of the sentence were intended to reflect both punishment and permanent removal of a defendant who demonstrated a willingness to repeatedly use firearms in public spaces to fulfill a paid killing.

Clegg will enter federal custody to serve his term, followed by no opportunity for early release. Authorities noted that the case underscores how murder-for-hire conspiracies often unfold over time, rely on digital coordination, and place unintended victims directly in harm’s way long before law enforcement is able to intervene.

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