BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A Malden man was sentenced in federal court in Boston Monday for attempting to hire a contract killer—who was actually an undercover federal agent—to murder his then-wife, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Massimo Marenghi, 57, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of murder-for-hire in March.
In January 2021, an individual reported to law enforcement that Marenghi had complained about his then-wife seeking a restraining order against him. Marenghi then asked the individual to assist him in killing his wife.
At the direction of federal agents, the individual introduced Marenghi to an undercover agent posing as a contract killer. Later that month, Marenghi met with the undercover agent and sought help to "eliminate" his problem. Marenghi provided the undercover agent with a photograph of his then-wife’s residence and explained how to evade detection by cameras while approaching the residence.
On Jan. 29, 2021, Marenghi again met with the undercover agent and discussed moving forward with the killing of his wife, providing a $1,500 cash deposit for the murder. Marenghi explained that the sooner the "demolition job" took place, the sooner he would be able to pay the balance owed. He also provided a photograph of his then-wife, the color, model and license plate number of her car, the hours of operation of her place of business and a schedule indicating when he would have custody of his children, which he said would be the "best time for the construction work to start."
Marenghi's 10-year sentence is the statutory maximum sentence under federal guidelines.
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