One of the two remaining defendants in a cross-country murder for hire case

One of the two remaining defendants in a cross-country murder for hire case in the Northeast Kingdom six years ago has agreed to plead guilty in federal court to three felony charges. Berk Eratay, 36, of Las Vegas, one of the chief organizers, was due appear in U.S. District Court in Rutland  yesterday to admit to committing murder for hire and two conspiracy counts, court records show. One conspiracy count is for the actual murder for hire crime and the other is conspiracy to launder monetary funds, court records. Eratay will face a maximum 25-year federal prison sentence according to the 11-page plea agreement. He would normally face between 292 and 365 months in prison under the federal sentencing guidelines, which are advisory. However, the two sides struck a deal that caps the maximum prison term at 300 months or 25 years.