A Jupiter, Florida, man pled guilty to one count of hiring someone to murder a woman and her family after a botched plan where he intended to blame Black Lives Matter, according to CBS Tampa Bay.

Last year, Daniel Slater, with the help of an associate, devised an unsuccessful plot to kill his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend, her sister and brother-in-law, who he says ruined his relationship.

The 51-year-old initially hired 26-year-old Brianne Slabaugh, whose body was found in Everglades National Park last February, with the investigation into her death leading the FBI to Slater.

A criminal complaint for the case alleges that Slater had asked Slabaugh to keep his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend under surveillance. He also instructed Slabaugh to develop a bond with the boyfriend and later kill him, but she found herself unable to follow through on the latter, NBC News reported.

Slater then hired another associate to help bring his plan to fruition. In June 2020, when Black Lives Matter protests were at their peak, Slater met with the new associate and instructed them to knock out the ex-girlfriend's teeth, break her nose and throw acid on her face.

In addition, Slater also asked the associate, who hasn't yet been identified, to kill his ex-girlfriend’s sister and her husband after driving to the couple’s West Palm Beach home.

"Slater pointed out a window in the home, explained how [the sister] and her [husband] sat in their living room at specific times, and told the [associate] to shoot the victims through the window during one of those times," the complaint stated.

In an attempt to throw off investigators, Slater told the associate to spray paint "Black Lives Matter" on the home after the killings to "make it appear as if members with that movement were responsible.”

The associate then began working with an FBI agent who went undercover as an additional hitman in the plot.

After the associate showed Slater photoshopped images of the targets’ bodies, he paid them $400 under the promise to provide more compensation, but was arrested and charged with murder for hire, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to possess three days later.

If convicted on all charges, Slater could have faced up to 90 years in jail, but after accepting a plea deal, his sentencing was reduced to a maximum of 10 years.

Slater is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16, at 10:00 a.m., by U.S. District Judge James I. Cohn, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale.

Daniel-Slater

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