BEVERLY HILLS—On July 14, Eugene Darryl Temkin, 50, of Goleta, Calif. was arrested but without incident for an attempted murder-for-hire plot. A criminal complaint report was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles describing the plan designed “by Temkin to hire a third party to murder his former business partner, the man’s wife and the man’s business partner.”

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Los Angeles, “The investigation began in late 2009 when a source provided information to detectives indicating that Temkin planned to hire a professional killer to murder his former business partner. Over the following several months, undercover law enforcement personnel, posing as professional killers for hire, met with Temkin to discuss how the plot should be carried out. According to the complaint, Temkin wanted the victim to pay him $15 million to settle his portion of a failed business venture, and then wanted the victim, his wife and his business partner murdered. Throughout the undercover meetings, Temkin proposed various forms of murder and torture to be exacted on the victims by the undercover law enforcement officers, whom he believed were professional killers.”

On July 8, in Encino, Calif., Temkin paid the undercover agent the first payment of a $30,000 fee to carry out the murders. The plans indicated that the murder would be carried out in Spain, where Temkin believed the victims were vacationing at the time. Temkin supplied the agent with photographs of the victims, as well as identifying information. Included with the information of the victims were specified instructions on how to deposit the $15 million into a bank account, which had the agent’s name in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The indictment charges are:

  • One count of soliciting a crime of violence
  • One count of attempting to interfere with interstate commerce by  threats and violence
  • One count of using interstate facilities in the commission of a  murder-for-hire

The press release states that Eugene Darryl Temkin is being held without bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. He was arraigned on all the charges stated above by the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on August 2. Temkin pleaded not guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen J. Hillman. Temkin’s trial will take place on September 21. If convicted on all counts, Temkin faces a constitutional maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.