Philly man convicted of plotting murder of South Jersey prosecutor, other officials

A 62-year-old Philadelphia man has been convicted of plotting the murder of a South Jersey prosecutor and other officials who were involved in sending him to prison for orchestrating an arson that destroyed a bowling alley, state prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Stephen Smink was convicted Aug. 15 before Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Levin of one count of conspiracy to commit murder, five counts of attempted murder, conspiracy to transport weapons, and transporting weapons, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.

Smink conspired with others from January 2018 to December 2020 with intent to cause the death of Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, First Assistant Prosecutor Harold Shapiro, two Superior Court judges, and an assistant prosecutor, Platkin said.

Webb-McRae and the others were involved in the prosecution of Smink for masterminding a 2010 arson fire that destroyed Loyle Lanes in Vineland. At the time, Smink ran Pike Lanes in nearby Deerfield Township.

“Protecting the public includes protecting the people who work every day to keep us all safe and hold criminals accountable,” Theresa L. Hilton, director of the Division of Criminal Justice in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, said in a statement.

“The safety of those who serve the public is non-negotiable, and this outcome reflects the outstanding work of the detectives who pursued this case with unwavering commitment. Their efforts not only protected lives but also upheld the integrity of our democracy,” Col. Patrick J. Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said in a statement.

In 2019, law enforcement learned that Smink, who was in prison for the bowling alley arson, had hired someone to help him with his murder-for-hire plot, Platkin said.

Smink had originally hired a member of the Latin Kings gang who also was in prison to carry out the killings, Platkin said. The Latin Kings member died before the plan was carried out, so Smink contracted a person prosecutors described as a cooperating witness to find a hit man, Platkin said.

Smink oversaw the transfer of sports memorabilia to pay for the hit and directed his mother, who has since died, to write correspondence to help further the conspiracy, Platkin said.

In a meeting with an undercover officer, Smink said: “If everybody was together, wipe the whole place out and kill everybody it just looks like somebody making an assault, a gangs meeting.”

Smink also said: “If somebody shot up the place it looks like the gang getting retribution.”

The sentencing for Smink, who faces 30 years to life in prison, is set for Sept. 26.

In the bowling alley arson case, Smink pleaded guilty and admitted that he bought the gasoline and kerosene cans, flares, and a drill used to start the fire. He got two other Philadelphia residents, who also pleaded guilty, to commit the arson.

The two coconspirators used a ladder to climb onto the roof of Loyle Lanes, drilled holes into the roof, then poured fuel into the holes and dropped flares inside to start the fire.

Loyle Lanes, which had been in business for five decades, never reopened.