Convicted arsonist plotted from prison to assassinate judges and prosecutors

Trenton, NJ – A 62-year-old Philadelphia man was sentenced to 95 years in New Jersey state prison after being convicted of conspiring to murder five government officials, including prosecutors and judges, in retaliation for his earlier conviction in an arson case.

Steven Smink, previously convicted in 2014 for orchestrating the arson of a rival bowling alley, was found guilty in August of five counts of attempted murder, one count of conspiracy to commit murder (all first-degree offenses), and two fourth-degree weapons-related charges. The sentence, handed down by Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Levin, requires Smink to serve 85 percent before becoming eligible for parole.

Prosecutors said that b

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