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Trial Begins For Mulberry Man Charged In Hit Man Hire

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 15, 2008

TAMPA - Randy Nowak's own words will be the most important evidence in his trial on charges he tried to hire a hit man to kill an IRS officer, a federal prosecutor told jurors this morning.

Nowak, 49, of Mulberry, is accused of hiring a man he knew as "Reaper" to kill an IRS revenue officer for a total of $20,000 because he was afraid of going to prison for tax evasion.

Nowak's attorneys gave jurors no inkling this morning of his defense. Attorney William Sites, in a brief opening statement, only cautioned the jury to wait until all the evidence is presented before making a decision.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Reidel said the case began when Nowak walked into the auto repair shop of a friend, Walter McGhee.

"In Walter's words, 'Randy looked serious as a heart attack,' "Reidel told jurors.

Nowak asked McGhee about hiring someone to kill an IRS officer, the prosecutor said. She said Nowak thought McGhee would be able to find someone because McGhee had loose connections to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.

McGhee worried he might be implicated and immediately alerted law enforcement, Reidel said. He agreed to allow agents to record his conversations with Nowak, beginning more than a month of electronic surveillance.

Reidel read to jurors from transcripts of conversations in which she said Nowak talked about the IRS officer and how thorough she was. Nowak talked about his idea that if she was killed, he could just tell the IRS he had turned over all his paperwork to her, and it must have been lost.

Reidel described meetings between Nowak and an undercover officer, "Reaper," and said there was no question Nowak wanted the IRS agent killed. Nowak paid the first $10,000 and was arrested with $10,000 in cash in his vehicle after he thought the deed had been done, Reidel said.

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