FBI uses informant to investigate Texas man in plot to kill mayor
By Jeffrey Grass, Esq.
Nov. 8, 2012 2:57p
FBI uses informant to investigate Texas man in plot to kill mayor
On behalf of Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass posted in Criminal Defense on Thursday, May 3, 2012
In a case that seems right out of the movies, a Texas man has been accused in a murder-for-hire plot against an Arlington Mayor and a Dallas attorney. The man has been ordered to remain in federal custody after being deemed dangerous to society. Authorities say they caught the accused man arranging the murders in a sting operation, which will likely be one focus of his criminal defense as the proceedings get under way in federal court.
The man was arrested on April 9, the same day he allegedly ordered the murder of the Arlington Mayor. An FBI agent has testified that there are audio and video recordings between the man and an informant, beginning with code words and eventually ending in face-to-face meetings where the accused purportedly handed pictures of the two men he wanted murdered to the informant.
FBI agents say that the man, a strip club owner, was offering $10,000 per individual and requested to be informed of when the murders would occur so he could have his alibi in place. The attorney and the mayor were both involved in a nuisance complaint against the man's club.
Facing allegations of murder in a federal courtroom is a daunting task, and the accused man will certainly face challenges. However, one interesting aspect of this case is that FBI agents used an informant, who is a convicted felon, to gather much of their information against the Texas man. Thus far, the defense has argued that the club owner was merely exercising his right to free speech. It will be interesting to see how this case unfolds.
Source: NBC DFW, "Strip Club Murder For Hire Suspect to Remain in Federal Custody," Ben Russell, April 20, 2012
Tags: criminal charges,
criminal defense,
murder
