(WBIR) - A 33-year-old Morristown man faces a charge of conspiracy to commit murder in connection with a plot he hatched to kill his ex-wife, authorities allege.
Thomas Michael Smith was being held in the Washington County Jail as a federal detainee, according to Hamblen County authorities. He was arrested Thursday, according to the Hamblen County Sheriff's Office.
According to Hamblen County authorities, Smith was "upset" with his ex-wife and wanted her killed. In January, he told a person who ended up becoming a federal informant that he was willing to pay someone more than $10,000 for the killing, according to federal court records.
Several weeks later he reiterated his interest in finding someone to carry out the killing, according to records. The informant then alerted law enforcement.
Beginning March 12, he engaged in several cellphone conversations with an informant about the murder, according to records. Smith talked about the possible method of murder as well as a "price point" of $5,000 to $10,000. On a successive call, he "ended the call by indicating that he would only be relieved of the situation once the murder had been committed."
On Wednesday, authorities used the informant to make a fifth phone call to Smith to arrange a meeting at the Days Inn on East Andrew Johnson Highway to seal the deal. He met there with another confidential informant, confirmed his desire to have his ex-wife killed at a price of $5,000 and "agreed to provide a down payment of $1,300 the following day."
He was then arrested. He appeared Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Inman in U.S. District Court in Greeneville. He's due back in court for a hearing Monday.
Hamblen County and FBI authorities were involved in the investigation.
