A registered sex offender, Chander J. Cardente, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for enticing a minor and plotting to murder the victim. Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom announced the sentence.
Cardente, 30, admitted in federal court to enticing a 12-year-old girl into sexual encounters and later planning a murder-for-hire scheme to silence her as a witness. According to court documents, he posed as a 17-year-old in the summer of 2021 and communicated with the victim through a messaging app. In December 2021, he met her near her school and engaged in sexual contact at various locations in Rhode Island before being arrested.
While detained at the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), Cardente expressed his intent to have the victim killed during phone conversations. He offered $200 in cash and equipment worth $1,500 to an undercover law enforcement officer posing as an accomplice.
Cardente pleaded guilty on March 20, 2025, to charges including enticement of a minor and interstate murder for hire. U.S. District Court Senior Judge William E. Smith sentenced him to 420 months of incarceration followed by 30 years of supervised release.
In state court, Cardente also faced prosecution and pleaded nolo contendere on May 1, 2025, to six counts of first-degree child molestation before Superior Court Justice David Cruise. He received a sentence of 60 years with 35 years to serve.
The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah and investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies including Homeland Security Investigations and local police departments.
Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom thanked the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General for their assistance with federal charges. The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, aimed at combating child exploitation.
