MALDEN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A Malden man was arrested Friday and charged in connection with attempting to hire a contract killer, who was actually an undercover federal agent, to murder his wife.
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Leling's office, 54-year-old Massimo Marenghi allegedly complained to an individual about his wife seeking a restraining order against him, and then asked the individual for assistance in killing his wife.
The individual then reported the alleged incident to law enforcement. At the direction of federal agents, the individual introduced Marenghi to an undercover agent who posed as a contract killer.
On Wednesday January 20th, Marenghi met with the undercover agent and allegedly sought help to “eliminate” his problem.
He then allegedly provided the undercover agent with a photograph of his wife’s residence, and explained how to evade detection by cameras while approaching the residence.
Earlier Friday, Marenghi allegedly again met with the undercover agent and discussed moving forward with the killing of his wife. Marenghi provided $1,500 cash as a deposit for the murder, and explained that the sooner the “demolition job” takes place, the sooner he will be able to pay the balance owed.
He also allegedly provided the undercover agent with a photograph of his wife, the hours of operation of her place of business, and a schedule indicating the "best time for the construction work to start."
Marenghi was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of murder-for-hire, and was due for an initial federal court appearance in Boston via videoconference later Friday. He faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
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Written by Brit Smith
(Photo: Getty Images)