ST. LOUIS — Two people have pleaded guilty for their roles in the murder-for-hire plot that led to the killing of Sweetie Pie's nephew Andre Montgomery.
Andre Montgomery was killed in March 2016 at the age of 21.
Terica Ellis and Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam were previously indicted for their roles in the scheme in August 2020, and more charges were filed in November 2020.
Ellis was in a relationship with James Norman, the uncle of Montgomery, at the time of the plot. Norman and Ellis were charged with murder-for-hire conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in 2020.
Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam, Norman's insurance agent, helped Norman take out a life insurance policy on Montgomery prior to his death. In 2014, according to a plea agreement for Yaghnam, Norman took out a $450,000 life insurance policy on then 20-year-old Montgomery, which Norman attempted to cash in on after Montgomery's death.
Yaghnam is charged with mail and wire fraud, and several counts of aggravated identity theft.
Yaghnam and Norman co-conspired to fraudulently apply for the policy on Montgomery using fake information about Montgomery to eventually get the policy.
According to Yaghnam's plea, Normal obtained a $200,000 policy, a $200,000 accidental death rider that would pay out if Montgomery died of anything other than natural causes, and a $50,000 10-year-term rider that would pay out if Montgomery died within 10 years of the policy’s issuance in 2014.
In June, Travell Hill, 30, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and another count of murder-for-hire in the death of Montgomery.
Both counts to which Hill pleaded guilty carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison, according to the plea agreement. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20.
After Montgomery's death, Yaghnam and Norman repeatedly called the insurance agency holding the policies in an attempt to cash in.
The company responded that it had not received the proper information needed to cash in on the policies, including a toxicology, police and coroner's report on Montgomery following his death.
Norman compensated Hill and Ellis for their roles in Montgomery's death.
Prosecutors said in June they will not seek the death penalty for either Norman or Ellis.
Norman is still awaiting trial.
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