CHICAGO, Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A Chicago man was charged Thursday with federal murder-for-hire, U.S. officials said.
Euripedes Caguana, 59, aka "Caca" was arrested Wednesday without incident by the FBI and Chicago police. The U.S. attorney's office said the suspect allegedly wanted to have two people killed, believing they were scheduled to testify against his son, who is awaiting trial on murder and related charges in Cook County, Ill., Circuit Court.
Caguana appeared in U.S. District Court and remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole.
The U.S. attorney's office said a cooperating individual told law enforcement that Caguana had called him seeking to have the two individuals killed to prevent them from testifying against his son.
During the next couple of days, the cooperating individual and an undercover officer, posing as a hit man, engaged in a series of recorded conversations and meetings in which Caguana allegedly provided the cooperating individual with $500 to purchase a gun and offered to pay up to $7,500 to have the two individuals killed, federal officials said.
Upon conviction, a federal murder-for-hire charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
