As I Lay Dying frontman Timothy Lambesis pleaded guilty on Tuesday (February 25) to a felony charge of solicitation of murder.
Lambesis was arrested last year in California after he attempted to hire an undercover officer to kill his estranged wife. He will be sentenced on May 2, and could face up to 9 years in prison, plus four years parole, in addition to a fine of $10,000.
At an arraignment hearing in May, Lambesis originally pleaded not guilty to the solicitation of murder charge, after his defense attorney claimed his client was the result of a “scumbag snitch setup.” However, prosecutors countered that Lambesis had not only met with an undercover detective posing as a hit man, but had given the agent an envelope containing $1,000, pictures of his wife, her address and the security code to a gate at her residence.
Prosecutors also claimed that Lambesis gave the agent — identified as “Red” — specific dates that the hit could take place, and, when asked by Red whether he wanted his wife dead, Lambesis replied “Yes, that’s exactly what I want.”
At press time, As I Lay Dying has yet to release a statement about Lambesis’ guilty plea. When the singer was arrested last year, the band posted a message on their official site thanking fans for their support, adding “Our thoughts right now are with Tim, his family, and with everyone else affected by this terrible situation.”
They’d subsequently cancel a tour with Killswitch Engage and have yet to return to the road.
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