WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., June 21 (UPI) -- A federal jury has convicted a Florida woman and her brother of arranging the murder of her husband, Ben Novack Jr., and his 86-year-old mother in 2009.
Narcy Novack, 55, and her brother, Cristobal Veliz, 58, were found guilty Wednesday in White Plains, N.Y., of hiring two men to kill Ben Novack, a multimillionaire, in a hotel room, The Miami Herald reported.
The jury did not convict Narcy Novack on a murder charge.
Ben Novack Jr. was killed three months after his mother, Bernice Novack, was beaten to death in her Fort Lauderdale home.
Ben and Narcy Novack's marriage featured violent incidents dating back to 2002, the Journal News of White Plains reported.
Ben Novack told police at the time his wife, a former stripper, led three men in a home invasion in which they bound him to a chair and beat him during a period of more than 25 hours while his wife ransacked the home, the newspaper said. He told investigators she had stolen $370,000.
Narcy Novack told police the incident had begun as an S&M sex game, the Journal News said. Ben Novack dropped a request for divorce and reconciled with Narcy, a decision his lawyer at the time told the Journal News was "just crazy."
"But I guess he was in love with her," the lawyer, Donald Spadaro said.
Ben Novack left an estate of at least $10 million, and possibly more in overseas accounts, the Herald said.
Ben Novack's adopted brother, Ronnie Marc Novack, filed suit shortly after the verdict was read contesting his brother's will, the Herald said. Bernice Novack's sister, Maxine Fiel, her two daughters and several other relatives are also planning legal action regarding the estate, the Herald said.
