Nothing's ridiculous if you don't particularly like a person. People go to great lengths to claw back what they think is, or should be theirs. Wouldn't you if you could get away with it ?
If they were convinced of his guilt and also believed he would turn them off their land, it is not far-fetched at all. I imagine they would have been prepared to do just about anything, on the proviso that they could get away with it, as you say.
I must say, it is not something I could countenance, as you are framing a potentially innocent person, however I have never been in that situation or anything comparable, nor have most people; and, if they were convinced of his guilt, they may not have thought about it sensibly.