A Canyon Country CEO charged with asking a hitman to have his model wife killed could have his trial start May 1 if things remain on schedule, according to officials with the District Attorney’s Office.
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Dino Guglielmelli, 52, of Canyon Country, who founded the multimillion-dollar business Creation’s Garden, was ordered to stand trial in December after being accused of trying to pay $80,000 to have his wife, Monica Andreny, killed.
Related article: Santa Clarita Man Accused In Murder Plot Ordered To Stand Trial
“It’s being set for trial,” said Deputy District Attorney Emily Cole, who’s been in charge of the case’s prosecution.
On April 22, the case is coming back for an update on attorney motions, as the defendent refused to waive time in the trial. The trial could be pushed back at that point, pending the results of subpoenas filed. However, jury selection is expected to begin May 1.
Guglielmelli is accused of paying Richard Fuhrmann, an Army vet and unemployed developer who claimed to be a friend of Guglielmelli’s, to kill his wife, Monica Andreny.
Guglielmelli and Andreny were in the middle of a contentious split when the alleged crimes took place. The case was investigated by the Major Crimes Bureau of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The charges stem from a discussion between Fuhrmann and Guglielmelli over an $80,000 deal, allegedly the amount Fuhrmann would have been paid to help “get rid of” Andreny, over an Oct. 1 lunch of mint chicken and noodles.
Unbeknownst to Guglielmelli, Fuhrmann had already contacted Andreny’s divorce attorney, who put him in touch with a detective from the Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau, and the discussion was recorded. Guglielmelli was taken into custody Oct. 3, according to Sheriff’s Department records.
Guglielmelli’s defense attorney, Tony Brooklier, sought to paint Fuhrmann as an opportunist and a liar during cross-examination, who allegedly invented defense industry contacts to impress Guglielmelli.
Deputy District Attorney Emily Cole played a 14-minute excerpt from a 90-minute tape of the Oct. 1 meeting.
Guglielmelli pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, and is being held in lieu of $10 million bail at Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles.
Creation’s Garden assets were sold at a bankruptcy sale Feb.12-13, according to a news release from the Tiger Group.
Related article: Bankrupt Creation’s Garden To Be Sold; CEO Awaits Murder Trial
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