It is quite common for guys to blame other guys who are dead or already serving a prison sentence for a crime that they dont want to be charged with. There are a bunch of examples which can be seen online once an appeal has been shot down and posted on the internet. Sometimes this is the basis for many appeals in LCN. Lawyers might argue something like "my client didnt do this cause a cooperator said that this other guy who is dead or in jail or a victim of a botched hit and then cooperated did this".