(Chicago, Illinois) The FBI has charged St. Louis Blues forward Mike Danton with ordering a hit on a man the Bureau says was Danton's boyfriend.
Danton, 23, was arrested in San Jose shortly after the Blues lost to the San Jose Sharks and were eliminated from the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
According to documents filed in U.S. district court for Southern Illinois Danton sought the help of a 19 year old friend, Katie Wolfmeyer, to find a hit man to kill the man who is not named in the FBI documents.
Danton, who is originally from the Toronto area, and Wolfmeyer are charged with conspiring and using a telephone across state lines to set up a murder.
Federal agents say made up a story to enlist Wolfmeyer's help, telling her that a man had been hired to kill him over an outstanding debt, and he wanted to take the man out first. He offered $10,000 for the hit.
The man Wolfmeyer put him in touch with went to police and agreed to record a conversation with Danton to set up the hit.
"When the thing goes down, I don't want to know anything about it," Danton allegedly told the man who is expected to testify against the pair.
"I'm pretty much begging," Danton said. "I wouldn't resort to this if it wasn't a matter of life and death."
"The only way that I'm going to be able to sleep tonight is knowing that the guy trying to kill me is done himself."
The FBI said Danton wanted the intended victim murdered at his St. Louis apartment in a way that made it look as though he was a thief who had broken in.
But, when the FBI went to the intended victim's home, the man told investigators that he was Danton's lover, and they lived together. He told agents "that he and Danton had a severe argument on Tuesday, April 13, 2004 concerning Danton's promiscuity and use of alcohol."
The man told investigators that during the argument he "threatened to leave Danton," the FBI court papers claim.
After the FBI had foiled the plot, the man Danton wanted dead allowed investigators to record a telephone conversation with Danton, according to the allegation.
"[He] asked Danton why he wanted to have him killed. Danton broke down and sobbed," court papers said.
"Danton explained that he felt backed into a corner and felt that the acquaintance was going to leave him. Danton did not want to allow the acquaintance to leave him, and therefore decided to have him murdered."
Wolfmeyer was arrested on Thursday and has provided a written confession the FBI said.
Danton, formerly known as Mike Jefferson, was suspended twice by the New Jersey Devils, who eventually traded him to St. Louis last June. He had seven goals, 12 points and 141 penalty minutes in 68 games this season with the Blues. But, at no time in his career was his sexuality discussed publicly.
Neither the Blues nor other players would discuss the case.
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