Hitman Rubbed Out CU RobberyWitness

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - (02/07/05) -- A local man who helped hire a hitmanto kill a federal witness in the 1997 armed robbery at EducatorsFCU, in Omaha, Neb., was sentenced last week to 15 years in federalprison. Anthony Hunter, 54, admitted last June that he received$2,500 in the spring of 1998 for his role in the murder of JohnWayne Hogsett, 33. Hunter was hired by Cornelius Peoples of KansasCity, who ordered the killing of Hogsett to keep him fromtestifying in the credit union heist. Hogsett, who lived as a womanunder the name Jovan Ross, had been providing police with evidenceagainst Peoples and his accomplice, Xavier Lightfoot, in a seriesof credit union and bank robberies in the Midwest. Peoples, 30,pleaded guilty in December to his role. Peoples offered Hunter$100,000 to kill Hogsett but Hunter declined and offered to find ahitman, instead. Hunter then found two Kansas City men, one whoagreed to kill Hogsett for $10,000.