Former escort Dalia Dippolito was convicted on Friday for attempting to hire a hitman to kill her husband in 2009. The prosecutors argued that she wanted to knock off her husband and secure his wealth and property for herself.
In December 2016, Dippolito’s case was considered a mistrial in court. This was her second trail, which resulted in a jury deadlock of 3-3. However, a third trail was conducted, and on Friday, she was convicted on the crime of paying an undercover police officer to kill her husband.
The 34-year-old former escort was originally was convicted of solicitation to commit first-degree murder in 2011, which resulted in a judgment of 20 years in prison. In 2014, the Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed her conviction.
Dippolito’s ex-husband, Mike Dippolito, testified during the first and third trial. “We got along really well,” said Mr. Dippolito in court last week. “We had fun together. We did a lot of things. She got me to do things I wouldn’t do.”
Mike Dippolito is a felon, and claims that his wife tried to use his criminal record and prohibition to get his arrested. He claims she placed illegal drugs in vehicle and called police in order to violate his probation, but her attempt failed. He claims that she conned him out of more than $100,000, tricking him that she’ll use the money to pay off his probation.
When Dalia was arrested, she claimed that she never met the undercover officer she hired to kill her husband. But police had digital proof, as they were filming for the show Cops. Her defense claims that the officers were only looking for fame on that long-running reality TV series, and weren’t intending to stop/solve a potential murder.
Here’s a video at Dalia first meeting the undercover officer to make the hit. She offered him as much as $7,000 to kill her husband:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se9hXBtQmPI
Officers created a mock murder scene. Here’s a look at Dalia when police pretended that the hit went through:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym2W8gU5XFA
Dalia was then questioned by police after her arrest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRy7xaRtvRA
Ms. Dippolito is scheduled to received her sentencing on July 21st at 1:30 P.M.
