Angry Ex-Husband Allegedly Plotted to Kill N.Y. Divorce Judge
A 90-day contempt term for failing to pay child support has now been transformed into an indefinite prison stay for a New York man accused of plotting to get a gun to kill the judge in his divorce case.
Angry at the Suffolk County judge who “gave his house away” to his ex-wife, Brian Orkiszewski, 49, allegedly spent his time while he was incarcerated for contempt shopping, via letters to third parties, for a gun for “unlawful use” against Supreme Court Justice William Kent III, reports the New York Law Journal.
His contempt sentence ended last week, but Orkiszewski is now being held, in lieu of $250,000 bail, on charges of conspiracy and criminal solicitation in the fourth degree, according to the legal publication and Newsday. If he is convicted of these felonies, he could be sentenced to a maximum prison term of four years.
State Supreme Court Justice Robert Doyle also issued a temporary order of protection for the judge allegedly targeted by Orkiszewski. Although officials didn’t reveal his identity, he was identified by sources as Kent, according to the law journal.
Attorney Anthony Grandinette, who represents Orkiszewski, says his client was blowing off steam after a run of bad luck and didn’t intend to harm the judge. The bitter divorce and a work injury that held him back from making child-support payments left him angry and depressed, the lawyer tells the Long Island newspaper. “We believe the allegations are completely blown out of proportion.”
