Man Pleads Guilty to Exploiting 12-Year-Old and Plotting Her Murder to Prevent Testimony

Chandler J. Cardente, 30, entered the plea in federal court to three serious felony offenses — enticement of a minor, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and interstate murder-for-hire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island announced this week.

Cardente, who was already a registered sex offender due to a 2014 conviction involving two children, used a messaging app in 2021 to pose as a 17-year-old and establish contact with the 12-year-old victim. According to federal prosecutors, he groomed the girl over a period of months, building trust and manipulating her emotions before arranging to meet her in person.

Eventually, Cardente picked up the girl near her middle school and transported her to several locations across Rhode Island, where he engaged in multiple acts of sexual abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office described these encounters as premeditated and predatory.

Following the assaults, Cardente was arrested and held in state custody as the investigation progressed. However, his criminal behavior escalated significantly while he was behind bars.

According to prosecutors, Cardente sought to eliminate the girl as a witness and solicited the services of a hitman — who turned out to be an undercover law enforcement officer.

In recorded conversations and phone calls from jail, Cardente offered $200 in cash and approximately $1,500 worth of tattoo equipment in exchange for the girl’s murder. He made it explicitly clear that he wanted her dead to avoid facing testimony that would seal his conviction.

“This was a calculated and cold-blooded effort not just to exploit a child, but to eliminate her as a witness,” federal officials said. “Thanks to the swift and strategic actions of law enforcement, a further tragedy was averted.”

In a statement following the federal sentencing, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha described Cardente’s conduct as “monstrous” and a stark example of the danger posed by repeat sexual predators.

“Not only did Chandler Cardente abuse a child in one of the most egregious ways imaginable, but he also attempted to have that child silenced forever to save himself from the consequences.

Cardente pleaded guilty in federal court on March 20, 2025, and was sentenced this week to 35 years in federal prison. That sentence will run concurrently with the 35-year state prison sentence he is already serving in connection to the abuse of the same victim.

According to the Department of Justice, Cardente will not be eligible for release before the year 2056.

Law enforcement officials credited the undercover operation and coordination between local and federal agencies with preventing a potential homicide.

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Authorities say Cardente was recorded during jailhouse phone calls and in-person conversations, during which he provided details about the victim and the means of payment. These recordings were used as critical evidence in securing his federal conviction.

Cardente remains in custody and is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence in a high-security federal facility. Upon release, if still living, he will be subject to lifetime supervision and registration as a sex offender.

The victim in the case, whose identity is being withheld due to her age, is receiving ongoing support services, according to officials.