Linwood social worker charged in disfigurement hit must close her practice

A clinical social worker accused of paying to have a man permanently disfigured must shutter her Linwood practice, according to the conditions of her federal release. Diane Sylvia, 58, of Somers Point, faces one count of solitication to commit a crime of violence. She allegedly asked for a hit on the unnamed Massachusetts man after finding out that a patient used to have ties to organized crime. That man put her in touch with a hitman who was really an undercover FBI agent. Sylvia paid $5,000 to the man for him to permanently injure the target, who she said was using information that could end her career to get money from her. Sylvia is released on a $50,000 unsecured bond with conditions that order her to "refraind from providing services as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and discontinue her therapy practice." She also cannot travel outside of the state or Pennsylvania's Eastern District without approval of pretrial services, cannot drink any alcohol and "participate in a program of inpatient or outpatient substance abuse therapy and counseling, if directed by the pretrial services office or supervising officer."