Doctor charged in murder of wife, and drug conspiracy with Pagans

Crazy Story:

Dr. James Kauffman plotted with the Pagans outlaw motorcycle gang to build a massive opioid drug ring, and when his wife found out and threatened divorce, he had her killed to protect his drug “empire,” Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said Tuesday.

“For the past 5½ years since April Kauffman was found shot to death inside her home in Linwood, New Jersey, there has been little movement in this case and no arrests have been made in connection with the murder. That is, until today,” Tyner said Tuesday at his office.

Tyner said the doctor’s motive was to protect a drug ring peddling opioids through his Egg Harbor Township endocrinology practice. Threatened with divorce and discovery by April, he paid a hit man $20,000 to kill her, Tyner said.

“He was intent to rather have her killed as opposed to losing his financial empire, as he described it to several individuals,” Tyner said Tuesday. “

Tyner identified Ferdinand Augello, 61, of the Petersburg section of Upper Township, as Kauffman’s co-conspirator in both the drug ring and the murder-for-hire. Both he and Kauffman were charged as being leaders of the drug ring, Tyner said.

According to Tyner, after months of unsuccessfully attempting to hire someone to kill April Kauffman, Augello found Francis Mullholland, a friend of a Pagan associate, to shoot and kill her in exchange for $20,000.

The drug enterprise continued for the five years following the murder, he said. All the people involved were either current members, former members or associates of the Pagan Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

In a final weird twist,Ferdinand Augello, Kaufmann's original co-conspirator was charged with conspiracy to commit murder of James Kauffman.

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