Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita, III announced that 27 year old Brendon Berndt pleaded guilty, as charged, to Conspiracy in the Second Degree, before Senior Erie County Court Judge Michael D’Amico. This is the highest charge for which the defendant could have been convicted had he gone to trial.

A convicted sex offender, Berndt was an inmate at Gowanda Correctional Facility, serving a sentence for Sex Abuse in the First Degree. That case was successfully prosecuted by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. In this case, the defendant conspired with an undercover New York State Police Investigator to murder the victim in the prior Sex Abuse case. Specifically, Berndt offered $10,000 to have the witness killed.

Berndt faces a maximum sentence of 25 additional years in state prison when he is sentenced on November 20, 2012 at 9:30 AM before Judge D’Amico.