Boynton Beach man accused of murder-for-hire plot against ex-wife asks court to dismiss case
By Malcolm Shields
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WPBF) — A Boynton Beach man accused of paying an undercover Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputy to kill his ex-wife has asked a judge to dismiss his case.
According to court documents in Broward County, Michael D. Pine, 56, submitted on Oct. 29 a motion to dismiss attempted first-degree murder and first-degree solicitation of murder charges against him.
According to documents submitted by Pine in his own handwriting, Pine argues that the Broward County Sheriff’s Office engaged in entrapment.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, entrapment says “Government agents may not originate a criminal design, implant in an innocent person’s mind the disposition to commit a criminal act and then induce commission of the crime so that the Government may prosecute.”
Pine argues that the state attorney’s office in Broward County has not established or been able to provide evidence of any criminal activity prior to his encounter with law enforcement or the confidential source.
Pine argues that because of that, he should not be in jail, and the court must discharge the case.
Pine also requested in another motion on Oct. 29 that his court-appointed public defender be taken off his case, claiming that the attorney has not prepared a defense for the case and has failed to contact Pine in recent weeks about the case.
Pine has a scheduled Tuesday court hearing in Fort Lauderdale.
[related id=’d20f83d1-129c-45d8-8701-b3b822ec1b0b’ align=’center’ source=”][/related] Pine is accused of wanting his ex-wife dead so he could get his kid back and also blamed her for him going to state prison.
Pine initially requested someone to kill his ex-wife in February while serving a prison sentence for stalking, written threats and insurance claim fraud that occurred in Palm Beach County.
When Pine was released from prison on Feb. 26, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office continued its investigation into Pine.
Pine allegedly offered an undercover detective $10,000 to kill his ex-wife and in March, he paid an undercover detective $2,000 as a down payment for the murder.
After the undercover agent told Pine he killed his ex-wife, Pine allegedly agreed to pay the remaining $8,000.
Pine, who was born in New York, was arrested on March 6 and has pleaded not guilty.
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