Heavy metal musician Tim Lambesis pleaded not guilty to solicitation of murder Thursday. According to his lawyer Anthony Salerno, Lambesis never intended to have his wife killed and was set up by a “snitch.”
"Law enforcement was being fed something by someone that I strongly believe was a snitch, was out to save his own skin and was trumping things up, exaggerating things," Salerno told reporters.
An undercover operation was set up earlier this week after a man told California authorities Lambesis had approached him at a gym and asked for his assistance in finding a hit man to murder his estranged wife, Meggan. The man put Lambesis in contact with an undercover detective. Lambesis met the detective on Tuesday and paid him $1,000 in cash to kill Meggan. Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso says the As I Lay Dying musician also provided the detective with pictures, security codes to get into Meggan’s home and a list of dates that he would have their 3 adopted children. Grasso says he wanted to use the children as his alibi. Lambesis, 32, was arrested that day at a store in Oceanside.
Meggan filed for divorce last September after she discovered Lambesis was having an affair and had previously been unfaithful with “a string of other women,” according to Grasso. They had been married 8 years.
Bail was set Thursday at $3 million. North San Diego County Superior Court Judge Martin Staven said Lambesis will be required to surrender his passport, wear a GPS monitoring device and remain in San Diego county. He was also ordered to stay away from Meggan and their children.
Lambesis’ next hearing was set for July 10. If convicted, he faces up to 9 years in prison.
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