Grapeland Couple Sentenced to Prison in Murder for Hire Plot

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

TYLER –  A Grapeland man and his girlfriend have been sentenced to prison for a murder-for-hire plot Feb. 15 in federal district court. 

Reynaldo Campos, Jr., 45, pleaded guilty to murder for hire before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell Aug. 12, 2022. 

U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle sentenced Campos to ten years (120 months) in federal prison. 

According to the original indictment, on Feb. 9, 2022, Campos contacted an individual who he believed was a hitman, but who was in fact an undercover federal agent, and solicited the “hitman” to murder a former associate of Campos, claiming the intended victim had either stolen drugs from him or owed him money.  Campos discussed the intended murder with the agent on multiple occasions over the next several weeks.  

On April 8, 2022, Campos and his girlfriend, Robin Pittman, traveled together from Houston County to Tyler to discuss the murder, to provide the “hitman” with a handgun to be used for the murder, and to provide information about the intended victim.  On April 13, 2022, Campos and Pittman again traveled together from Houston County to Tyler to discuss the murder and to provide the “hitman” with approximately one gallon of Phenylacetone/P2P, which is a chemical used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and a shotgun as partial payment for the murder of the intended victim. 

Campos and Pittman were indicted by a federal grand jury on April 21, 2022.  Pittman pleaded guilty on August 9, 2022, to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

42-year-old Pittman (also known as Robin Hill) was sentenced to five years (60 months) in prison. 

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]