Kansas City man sentenced in federal court for role in ‘murder for hire’ plot
A Kansas City man was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison Wednesday after a federal jury found him guilty of conspiring to commit murder for hire, according to a news release from Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Ketchmark.
Thomas Clegg, 42, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to being a felon in possession of a firearm, Ketchmark said. He was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder for hire after a five-day jury trial.
From Aug. 19, 2021, to June 13, 2022, Clegg and several accomplices conspired to kill a man, listed in court documents as JC, and his family members for cash and marijuana, Ketchmark said.
According to a federal trial brief, JC and two associates were leaving Ugly Joe’s bar in south Kansas City on Aug. 19, 2021, when Clegg approached the group and started shooting JC.
Clegg chased JC through the parking lot, firing several shots before fleeing in a vehicle, according to the trial brief. JC was struck in the back and leg.
Clegg and co-conspirators exchanged several messages between Aug. 19, 2021, and June 13, 2022, where the group made plans to track down JC and his family members, the brief said.
According to the news release, the messages showed Clegg was hired to kill JC.
On May 25, 2022, JC and another person met at a strip mall and entered a firearms store, according to the trial brief. During that time, Clegg received updates about JC’s whereabouts.
As JC was leaving the mall in a vehicle, Clegg fired several shots toward him before leaving the area, the trial brief said. As a result, JC required several surgeries.
On June 13, 2022, law enforcement arrested Clegg in the parking lot of a QuikTrip, according to the trial brief. In his car, investigators located two handguns, two cellphones, a ski mask and a black jacket.
Clegg allegedly admitted to officers that the firearms were his, that he had prior felony convictions and that he knew he was not allowed to possess firearms, the brief said.
The brief said shell casings from one of Clegg’s firearms matched those found at the scene of the May 25, 2022, shooting, and cell phone records indicated at least one of Clegg’s phones was present at the shooting locations.
Clegg will serve his sentence at FCI Terre Haute, a medium-security federal prison located in Terre Haute, Indiana.
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 9:57 PM.
