A prisoner who was caught plotting the murder of a witness who helped convict him was sentenced to an extra eight to 16 years behind bars.
Disgraced Long Island businessman Aaron Hand was already serving an 8 1/2- to 25-year prison sentence last year when he hired a “hitman” for a deadly $2,000 job.
Hand, 40, was convicted in 2010 of masterminding a $100 million mortgage scam after his target — a co-defendant in the case — testified against him. Close to 30 people were convicted in the case.
“You don’t get a free pass in life when you put away 30 f—–g people,” Hand ranted to the wired undercover from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office who he believed was a hitman. “Come on.”
Hand pleaded guilty last week to clumsily plotting the death of the man, and ordering his would-be assassin to leave no trace of a crime.
“I think if you leave anybody, you might… have a problem,” he said.
Hand, who had been facing life in prison had he been convicted of the plot at trial, chose to keep his mouth shut during his sentencing before Justice Laura Ward.
“He knew what the sentence was going to be, so there was nothing to speak to,” said his lawyer Lee Ginsberg.