Kansas City, Missouri – A Kansas City man faces decades behind bars after being found guilty in a chilling murder-for-hire plot that spanned nearly a year and put multiple lives in danger. A federal jury in Kansas City found 42-year-old Thomas D. Clegg guilty on Thursday for his part in planning and executing a conspiracy aimed at a man named in court records only as “J.C.” and even extending threats to J.C.’s family.
Evidence shown throughout the trial indicated the murder-for-hire plot started in August 2021 and ran until June of the following year. Prosecutors said Clegg and others conspired to murder J.C. in return for rewards including marijuana and cash. The plan turned violent almost immediately. Clegg shot J.C. in the leg and back on August 19, 2021, ambushing him in the parking lot of Ugly Joe’s pub in Kansas City. Months later, on May 25, 2022, Clegg struck once more in broad daylight outside a strip mall on Sterling Avenue—a busy area bordered by a daycare center, gym, and other small businesses.
The second shooting almost resulted in additional tragedy. A window was shattered by the gun shots on her vehicle, seen by one bystander who had just picked up her two children from the adjacent daycare. Luckily, no one in her car was injured.
Authorities pieced together the conspiracy using digital evidence recovered from Clegg’s phone. Following his arrest, detectives carried out search warrants on his device and found a series of incriminating text messages exchanged with his co-conspirators. The texts made clear Clegg’s task: he had been employed specifically to kill J.C.
Read also: Missouri National Guard celebrates historic promotion of Charles D. Hausman to Major General
After a multi-day trial, the jury needed only two and a half hours to decide. Delivered to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, the guilty verdict finished proceedings started on May 12. Just before the trial, Clegg had pleaded guilty to a separate charge—being a felon in possession of a firearm used during the May 2022 shooting.
Read also: Governor Kehoe signs SB 1 to boost fairness and increase pay for Missouri’s county officials
Clegg’s criminal history, presented in court, painted a grim picture. His previous felony convictions include drug trafficking, voluntary manslaughter, armed criminal action, unauthorized weapon usage, and possession of a controlled drug. Federal law prohibits anyone with such a record from possessing firearms, a law Clegg violated during the conspiracy.
Read also: With no local cases yet, Kansas City races to raise immunity before measles strikes
Clegg’s maximum sentence is 30 years in federal prison without the chance of parole. Sentencing will be determined after a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Heather Siegele, the case’s investigation was primarily handled by the FBI, local police, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
This conviction is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a concerted effort to reduce violent crime and make communities safer by establishing trust, supporting preventative measures, and focusing enforcement on the most severe offenders.
