A grisly plot to murder Justin Bieber has been foiled by New Mexico police.

According to a report from the Toronto Star yesterday (December 12, 2012), two prison inmates and a nephew of theirs had been plotting to murder the young Canadian pop star, along with his director of security. Two other individuals were also targeted in the plan, which – if they had pulled it off – would have ended with four people murdered in two states.

The accused men are Dana Martin, 45 (currently serving time for raping and murdering a 15 year old girl) and fellow inmate at the Southern New Mexico Corrections Facility, Aaron Staake, 41. Martin is reportedly obsessed with Justin Bieber; he has a tattoo of him on his leg and has reportedly written Bieber a number of letters. Staake and Martin recruited Staake’s nephew Tanner Ruane. The police learned of the plot on November 20, when Martin allegedly asked to speak to police, telling them that the other two were planning to carry out the first two murders. Neither of those were actually Bieber, but their identity has not been revealed.

The plan, if it had worked, would have seen two murders carried out in Vermont and two in New York (Justin recently played at New York’s Madison Square Garden). However, the would-be murderers missed an exit in Vermont and when they spoke with a US border agent at the Highgate Springs crossing, Staake was arrested on an outstanding warrant. Melissa Victor of Island Def Jam Music Group told the press “We take every precaution to protect and ensure the safety of Justin and his fans.” Bieber has a vigilant security team around him at all times and luckily, this particular plan was foiled by the police.