A Kenyan man has been arraigned in a United States court for allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to kill his wife.
According to court papers, 52-year-old Leonard Thuo Mwithiga, a resident in Connecticut, U.S. had planned to kill his wife who was set to testify against him in court.
Mwithiga, who was staying in a hotel in Putnam, was arrested on Monday, December 4, 2023 and charged with criminal attempted murder and intimidation of a witness.
He was arrested after meeting with an undercover police officer who posed as a hitman.
This was after an informant who was living in a hotel in Putnam reported to police that the suspect had requested him to find a hitman to kill his family member.
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Court documents further revealed that Mwithiga traveled from the United States to Kenya between September 9 and December 1, 2023 several times as he made several inquiries about getting a hitman.
After noticing the several attempts by the accused to find a hitman, the informant decided to record their conversations.
“On October 26, Mwithiga contacted the man and asked if he knew someone who could hit the family member and that he wanted to put that woman down,” read part of court documents.
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In a separate incident on November 3, the accused had again asked the informant if he knew an expert who could kill his wife without raising any suspicion.
However, on November 3, he changed plans and inquired about a person who could inject her with a harmful chemical that would make her very sick.
Consequently, the informant arranged with an undercover police officer who then posed as a hitman, with an aim of arresting the suspect.
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Appearing before Judge Kevin Shay, the suspect denied the charges, adding that he was a manager at a bank in Kenya.
Mwithiga was released on a $5 million (Ksh762 million) bond, as he was ordered to surrender his firearm.
The court set the hearing of the case to begin on January 26, 2024.
