A Utah man accused of using his COVID-19 stimulus check to hire a hitman while behind bars in 2020 has pleaded guilty to criminal solicitation to commit murder.
Lorenzo Gutierrez, 32, entered guilty pleas Thursday to two counts of first-degree felony criminal solicitation to commit murder, abruptly ending his trial on its second day. The trial had been scheduled to last four days.
According to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill, Gutierrez was in the midst of a breakup with the mother of his child when he began plotting to have her and her new boyfriend killed. At the time, Gutierrez was already incarcerated for previous felony convictions.
Authorities learned of the murder-for-hire scheme in April 2020, when a detective with the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office received information that Gutierrez was looking for someone to carry out the killings. Investigators placed a recording device in his jail cell, capturing Gutierrez telling another inmate he wanted the victims “smoked” and “stomped out,” preferably while he was still in jail to avoid suspicion.
The fellow inmate then provided Gutierrez with contact details for a supposed hitman—who turned out to be an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Gutierrez later told the agent he was upset after receiving custody papers regarding his child. He provided detailed plans for the murders, including the victims’ whereabouts and instructions to take photos after the killings. He also discussed using the title to his car, a handgun, and part of his stimulus check as payment for the murders.
Gutierrez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21. He faces a sentence ranging from six years to life in prison.
