‘Inject her with heroin.’ WA doctor accused of hiring hitmen to kidnap estranged wife

A former Washington doctor is accused of hiring hitmen on the dark web to kidnap and drug his estranged wife and injure a former colleague, federal officials said.

Ronald Craig Ilg, 55, a former neonatologist in Spokane, pleaded guilty to transmitting threats in interstate commerce on Wednesday, Aug. 10, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington said in a news release.

In February 2021, Ilg is accused of trying to hire a hitman from a dark website that provided “murder for hire” services, a special agent for the FBI said in an affidavit.

An attorney for Ilg did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.

He wanted to pay a hitman in Bitcoin to break a former colleague’s hands, the affidavit and the news release state.

“The target should be given a significant beating that is obvious. It should injure both hands significantly or break the hands. I tried to attach a pic but it wouldn’t load,” Ilg said in a message to the dark website’s administrator.

llg then put Bitcoin in an account for someone from the website and sent the woman’s name, address and a photo link, the affidavit says.

In addition to hiring a hitman to target a former co-worker, Ilg also wanted to have his estranged wife kidnapped so she would get back together with him, the affidavit says.

In April 2021, he is accused of messaging multiple dark websites asking for a person to kidnap his wife for a week, “inject her with heroin” twice a day, teach her how to inject heroin herself and take photos of her using the drug for “bribery” later.

Ilg wanted the kidnapping to lead his estranged wife to get back together with him and drop the divorce proceedings, the news release states.

In total, Ilg sent about $60,000 in Bitcoin for the scheme, according to the release.

“This investigation is an example for would be criminals who mistakenly believe they are anonymous online,” Michael Heiler, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, said in the release. “As with this case, the FBI will continue to identify those individuals who are conducting criminal activity online, and, working with our partners, hold them accountable.”

Ilg faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on Nov. 8.

Wife hires ‘hitman’ to kill husband — on a $100-a-week installment plan, PA cops say

Man tries to hire hitman for $13,000 to kill woman he briefly dated, feds say

Businessman hired nephew to gun down ex-employee who started rival company, feds say