57-year-old Fairbanks gun dealer, Eric Donald Grabber, was sentenced in federal court by Chief District Judge Ralph R. Beistline for December 2012 murder-for-hire plot to be carried out in Indiana.

Judge Beistline sentenced Grabber to 77 months in prison for “causing another individual to travel in interstate commerce from Alaska to Indiana in furtherance of the scheme, and for making an interstate telephone call for the same purpose.”

The charge and the conviction stemmed from an indictment, for which Grabber was arrested the very same day exactly one year ago on January 17th.

It was in DEcember of 2012 that Grabber hired a “hitman” for $40,000 to travel to Indiana to kill Grabber’s long-time friend, George Cole of Indiana. The man he hired went to the FBI in Fairbanks and reported the plot to agents. The supposed “hitman” traveled to Indiana with the full knowledge of the FBI, taping the conversations he held with Grabber. Once in Indiana, the man-for-hire informed Grabber, who was in Fairbanks, that he could not find his intended victim. Grabber called his hired killer to find out his whereabouts.

Grabber’s motive for wanting to have his “friend” killed was over “Grabber’s belief that Cole had cheated him out of a financial investment,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. It was also revealed in court that Grabber had a life insurance policy out on Cole with Grabber as the beneficiary.

Cole, the intended victim traveled to Fairbanks to testify on Grabber’s behalf at his sentencing.

When Grabber stood to make a statement to the court prior to sentencing, he turned to Cole and stated, “George, I did pay a confidential informant money to murder you.”

Judge Beistline commented that the case presented a bizarre set of circumstances. Beistline said that other than his involvement in this case, Grabber had been a law abiding citizen and a successful businessman. He even cvommented on the fact that Cole traveled all the way to Fairbanks from Indiana to speak in Grabber’s defense.