A Texas woman whose husband was allegedly gunned down by her boyfriend had used phony email accounts to push her lover to carry out the murder in a “depraved” scheme, federal prosecutors said.
Jennifer Lynne Faith, 49, was indicted on a federal charge for the use of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire in the death of her 49-year-old hubby, Jamie Faith, the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said Wednesday.
Prosecutors allege that Jennifer posed as her husband and friend using fake email accounts to convince her boyfriend, Darrin Ruben Lopez, 49, that Jamie was physically and sexually abusing her.
“Ms. Faith’s alleged murder-for-hire scheme was depraved and calculated,” Acting US Attorney Prerak Shah said. “She preyed on her boyfriend’s protective instinct and his pocketbook in order to convince him to execute her husband.”
In the emails, Jennifer allegedly provoked Lopez, a high school sweetheart, by sharing “details of extreme physical and sexual abuse that had never actually occurred” and attaching fake photos of injuries, prosecutors said.
“I am telling you to stay away from my family,” she allegedly wrote in an email to Lopez while posing as her husband on April 9, 2020.
“Enjoy knowing you can’t do a [expletive] thing about it,” she wrote in another email the next month that included close-up photos of purported injuries, prosecutors said.
Jennifer, then allegedly posing as her friend, asked Lopez if he could help.
“I am asking if you are willing to get involved and help Jen get out of this situation,” one email said.
Lopez allegedly then drove to the couple’s home in Oak Cliff, where he laid in wait until the couple emerged to walk their dog before shooting Jamie multiple times.
He was arrested about a month later on a murder charge in the case.
Jennifer had previously pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice in the killing.
If convicted of the charges, she faces life in prison and possibly the death penalty.
“We are committed to getting justice for Jamie – and to holding both Ms. Faith and Mr. Lopez accountable for their alleged crimes,” prosecutors said.