A popular American reality star has been sentenced to life behind bars for his role in the involvement of a murder-for-hire plot against his own nephew.
James 'Tim' Norman, who was known for starring in the St Louis-based reality show Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s, received the sentence on Thursday (2 March).
It is believed that he wanted his nephew dead so he could collect a life insurance policy, back when the plan that led to the March 2016 murder was hatched.
Andre Montgomery Jr, 21, Norman's nephew, was also a reality star at the time of his death, and he had featured in the OWN reality series about his family's food business in St Louis.
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A number of Norman's family and friends submitted pleas asking for leniency prior to his sentencing yesterday.
Robbie Montgomery, who is the grandmother of both men, wrote: "I don't know whether Tim did what he was accused and convicted of.
"He is still the baby that I bore, and I love him as every mother involved loves their child."
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The prosecution argued that the reality star lured his nephew into a street where he was fatally shot by someone else after taking out a $450,000 life insurance policy on him.
However, while Norman was defended by some members of his family in the case, others, including his mom, Michell Griggs, requested that he receive a life sentence, it was reported.
In the end, he was given not one, but two life sentences from US District Judge John A Ross, who described the crime as 'a cold-blooded, incredibly premeditated, planned execution of your nephew'.
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Prior to this week's sentencing, Norman had been convicted of multiple offences including conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit fraud.
The man who pulled the trigger, Travell Anthony Hill, admitted to taking $5,000 in exchange for shooting Montgomery.
He was sentenced to 39 years behind bars.
A third person involved in the plot, Terica Taneisha Ellis, said Norman paid her $10,000 to inform him where his nephew was on that fateful day.
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Insurance agent Waiel 'Wally' Rebhi Yaghnam was also prosecuted as he helped Norman apply for several policies fraudulently and file a claim on his nephew's after the crime took place. He was sentenced to three years behind bars.
A week before his sentencing, Norman took to Instagram to protest his innocence.
"Thank you for all the prayers. I'm still in disbelief. The feds know 100% I did not do those insurance policies.
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"But the jury didn't get to hear that. And not one person got on the stand and said that I told them to hurt my nephew. They destroyed my name and image so you guys wouldn't search for the truth."
Topics: True crime, US News
Emma Guinness