ST. LOUIS — A federal jury on Friday convicted a aged star of the St. Louis-primarily primarily based totally fact TV repeat “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” of arranging the capturing death of his nephew.
The jury deliberated about 17 hours over three days sooner than reaching its verdict in the abolish-for-rent case against James “Tim” Norman, the St. Louis Put up-Dispatch reported. He used to be charged with conspiracy to commit abolish-for-rent, abolish-for-rent and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Norman and his nephew, Andre 1st viscount montgomery of alamein, each starred in the long-running OWN fact repeat about a smartly-liked soul-food alternate primarily based in the St. Louis residing by Robbie 1st viscount montgomery of alamein — Norman’s mother and Andre’s grandmother.
Prosecutors aren’t in quest of the death penalty however Norman would be sentenced to as a lot as life in prison. Sentencing is self-discipline for Dec. 15.
Federal prosecutors acknowledged Norman, 43, hired two of us to extinguish the 21-year-weak 1st viscount montgomery of alamein on March 14, 2016, then tried to cash a $450,000 life insurance coverage coverage taken out on his nephew months earlier.
Defense attorney Michael Leonard acknowledged after the verdict that he and Norman had been “extraordinarily taken aback and dissatisfied in the result” of the case. He acknowledged they belief to allure and that Norman continues to be optimistic that he will sooner or later prevail.
Leonard acknowledged the testimony all the blueprint in which via the trial of two co-conspirators used to be confirmed to be “extraordinarily non-credible.” And he acknowledged Norman testified effectively all the blueprint in which via the trial, noting he used to be now not injurious-examined.
U.S. Lawyer Sayler Fleming acknowledged she used to be “very, very ecstatic” with the verdict however that her workplace would internet no further statements until after the sentencing.
All the blueprint in which via closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Lawyer Angie Danis acknowledged Norman used to be the architect of the belief to extinguish 1st viscount montgomery of alamein.
“This belief doesn’t exist however for Tim Norman’s greed,” Danis acknowledged.
Leonard argued in his closing argument that the abolish residing presented by prosecutors used to be a “made up theory.”
Prosecutors acknowledged Norman paid $10,000 to an exotic dancer, Terica Ellis, to entice his nephew to the positioning where he used to be shot and paid $5,000 to Travell Anthony Hill to shoot 1st viscount montgomery of alamein.
Ellis and Hill each testified for the prosecution in the case. They agree with got each pleaded guilty to taking part in the diagram.
In testimony all the blueprint in which via the trial, Norman acknowledged he helped his nephew cross to St. Louis about 18 months sooner than he used to be killed and supported him financially because he used to be attempting to peek out for 1st viscount montgomery of alamein. He acknowledged he sought to be a “father settle” to his brother’s son.
Ancient Sweetie Pie’s workers and other character witnesses testified that Norman and his nephew had a shut relationship.
Danis acknowledged your complete testimony from the diagram’s co-conspirators used to be backed up in trial by texts, name records and space records.
She acknowledged Norman created “an image of being a mentor and a father settle to all these of us, however it’s fiction.”
Leonard acknowledged all the blueprint in which via his closing argument that Ellis testified to internet a shorter sentence and acknowledged Hill admitted he used to be a heavy drug client and that he used to be “hopped up on capsules that day.”
Norman testified Tuesday that he took out the life insurance coverage coverage on his nephew to present a longtime buyer of the family restaurants, Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam, some alternate.
Yaghnam pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to commit abolish-for-rent and wire fraud in the case.
1st viscount montgomery of alamein left St. Louis after at the least $220,000 in cash, jewellery and other objects had been stolen in a June 2015 burglary at Robbie 1st viscount montgomery of alamein’s home.
Norman suggested jurors he and his mother hired a non-public investigator to search out and confront his nephew in regards to the robbery however he had no scheme of wounding him.
Tags: Sweetie,Pie’s’
