Terica Ellis and Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam have both pleaded guilty to their role in the death of André Montgomery.
ST. LOUIS — Two people have pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder-for-hire conspiracy that led to the murder 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 charged for their role in the scheme in August 2020, and further charges were filed in November 2020.
Ellis was in a relationship with James Norman, Montgomery’s uncle, at the time of the plot. Norman and Ellis were charged with conspiracy to murder-for-hire to commit murder-for-hire in 2020.
Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam, Norman’s insurance agent, helped Norman take out a life insurance policy on Montgomery before his death. In 2014, under a plea deal for Yaghnam, Norman took out a $450,000 life insurance policy on then-20-year-old Montgomery, which Norman tried to cash out after Montgomery died.
Yaghnam is charged with mail and wire fraud, and several counts of aggravated impersonation.
Yaghnam and Norman co-conspired to fraudulently enforce the policy on Montgomery using false information about Montgomery to ultimately obtain the policy.
According to Yaghnam’s plea, Normal was granted a $200,000 policy, a $200,000 accidental death rider that would pay if Montgomery died of non-natural causes, and a $50,000 10-year rider that would pay if Montgomery died within 10 years of the policy being issued 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 Montgomery’s death.
The two counts to which Hill pleaded guilty carry a mandatory life sentence, according to the plea agreement. He is due 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 out.
The company responded that it had not received the proper information needed to take advantage of the policies, including a toxicology, police and coroner’s report on Montgomery after his death.
Norman compensated Hill and Ellis for their roles in Montgomery’s death.
Prosecutors said in June they would not seek the death penalty for Norman or Ellis.
Norman is still awaiting his trial.
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