Florida man sought hit man to kill brother, deputies say
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Authorities said a Florida man sought to hire a hit man to kill his brother and even offered a $160 down payment.
It turned out, however, that the “hit man” was actually an undercover detective with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department. Officials said as a result Gary Hudge, 54, is charged with solicitation to commit murder.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that Hudge met the detective during a drug investigation and said he wanted to hire the undercover detecive to kill his brother, 57-year-old Thomas Hudge. The two were at odds over financial issues.
Investigators said Hudge provided several Michigan addresses for his brother and offered .25-caliber handgun, a bus ticket as well as the cash. It wasn’t immediately clear how much in total Hudge was willing to pay.
Hudge was arrested Thursday and was jailed on $62,000 bail. He also faces two drug charges. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney to represent him.
