Malden man indicted on charge of trying to hire assassin to kill his wife

A Malden man was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday for reportedly trying to hire an assassin to murder his wife.

The “contract killer” was actually an undercover federal agent.

Massimo Marenghi, 54, was charged and arrested in January. Charging documents claim that Marenghi had complained about his wife seeking a restraining order against him and was looking for help in killing her.

He allegedly met with the undercover agent on Jan. 10 and asked him to “eliminate his problem,” providing a photo of his wife’s home and an explanation on how to avoid the home’s cameras.

Authorities allege that Marenghi gave the agent a $1,500 deposit on Jan. 29 and said that he would pay the full balance as soon as the “demolition job” takes place. He also reportedly gave the agent a photo of his wife, the operating hours of her workplace, and his custody schedule with their children. He allegedly said that his scheduled custody would be the “best time for the construction work to start.”

Marenghi faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 on the charge of murder-for-hire.