BURLINGTON, Vermont - A federal grand jury in the District of Vermont in the United States returned a third superseding indictment on Tuesday against a Burlington man who conspired to kidnap, torture and kill a man in a foreign country for the purpose of making a video.

The man, Sean Fiore, 36, a former nurse, is also facing five child pornography offenses after allegedly producing and attempting to produce child pornography. He is also charged with using interstate commerce facilities, namely cell phones and the Internet, in the commission of murder-for-hire.

Fiore was arrested in May last year, as part of an operation conducted by Vermont's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and HSI, that involved executing search warrants on several residences, based on cyber tips that were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Fiore is currently detained pending trial, and his initial appearance on the superseding indictment will take place before Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy in the District of Vermont on a date yet to be scheduled.

The indictment alleges that between November 2018 and April 2019, Fiore knowingly and intentionally used and caused to be used facilities of interstate and foreign commerce, namely, the Internet and cell phones, with the intent of paying someone to kidnap and murder an adult male in a foreign country. Fiore is alleged to have conspired with that person to have a male victim kidnapped, bound, tortured, and then murdered, so that a video of the torture and killing could be made. Fiore allegedly paid approximately $4,000 for the video to be made.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan of the District of Vermont, and Resident Agent in Charge Michael Shea of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Burlington, Vermont, made the announcement of Tuesday's indictment.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The investigation was conducted by HSI. Trial Attorney Mona Sahaf of the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Masterson of the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs.