Massimo Marenghi of Malden pleads guilty to attempting to hire someone to murder wife

BOSTON — A Massachusetts man who tried to hire a contract killer to kill his wife after she sought a restraining order against him instead asked an undercover federal agent to do the job, authorities said.

Massimo Marenghi, 56, faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing after pleading guilty on Thursday in federal court to murder for hire, the U.S. attorney's office in Boston said.

Authorities started investigating in January 2021 when someone went to law enforcement and reported that Marenghi had complained about the restraining order and asked for assistance in killing his wife, prosecutors said.

Federal investigators directed that person to introduce Marenghi to an undercover agent posing as a contract killer.

Marenghi met with the agent in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, discussed a price of $10,000, and provided the agent with a photo of his wife's home and explained how to evade surveillance.

At a second meeting, he provided the agent with a $1,500 deposit, a photograph of his wife, a description of her car, details about her work schedule, and indicating when he would have custody of their children, which he said would be the "best time for the construction work to start."

Sentencing is scheduled for June 8.