In what seems like something out of a Jason Bourne movie, a Sherman Oaks man is accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill another hitman after a feds busted up a bank fraud scheme.
Or as Dennis Romero of LA Weekly put it, "This guy has dug a deeper hole for himself than Tiger Woods."
Pavel Valkovich, 28, has pleaded guilty this week to solicitation of murder and one count of bank fraud. He faces 50 years in jail at his upcoming sentencing in February.
It all started in 2008 when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began investigating Valkovich's association with a scheme involving fraudulent money transfers from PayPal accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Last year, authorities were able to close in on Valkovich thanks to the help of an informant. During the execution of a search warrant, Valkovich tried to escape by leaping from the roof of his apartment building onto another building, said prosecutors.
Authorities were able to take Valkovich into custody. That's when the alleged hitman-on-hitman cycle began at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles.
"Following his arraignment on the bank fraud charges, Valkovich approached another individual and proposed that they kill the informant, who Valkovich learned had provided the information that led to his arrest. Valkovich said all that was needed was a 'pic and ten' -- a picture of the informant and $10,000 -- to have the informant killed," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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Valkovich even discussed coaching a witness to lie at his upcoming trial by claiming that the informant provided the witness with drugs, made improper sexual advances and planted evidence, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Authorities got wind of the hitman scheme, charged Valkovich and moved him to a jail in San Bernardino County.
It didn't end there, according to authorities.
"Once (in jail), Valkovich approached another individual and asked him to kill both the original informant and the individual Valkovich had approached regarding the original murder scheme. Valkovich promised this man $40,000 in exchange for killing both men and provided information on the planned victims' appearance, residences, and cars. Valkovich directed that one victim be shot and have his head cut off," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Attorney John Niel McNicholas told the Los Angeles Times that Valkovich never intended any harm. "There never was going to be an attempted murder of anyone in this case. It was all a hoax," he told the Times.
Valkovich's sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 22 in Los Angeles federal court.
