IT’S ALWAYS A COP

California Exec Tried to Hire Hitman to Avoid $200,000 Debt, Feds Say

Arthur Aslanian, 53, apparently didn’t realize he was dealing with an undercover agent instead of a contract killer, according to court filings.

A California real estate executive is accused of trying to hire a hitman to do away with a lawyer and a banker over a $200,000 debt he owed. But the alleged plan was foiled when the contract killer turned out to be an undercover cop. Arthur Aslanian, 53, is now facing one count of conspiring to commit murder-for-hire, an offense carrying up to 10 years in federal prison. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Aslanian negotiated a price of $20,000 for each hit, and demanded photographic proof once the job was done. He was arrested immediately following a Sept. 15 meeting during which he was shown a staged murder photo of one of the intended targets. “[Aslanian] expressed he was pleased with the completion of the murder and would pay… for the hitman the following day,” ATF said in a news release, citing court filings unsealed Friday.