Tipster in murder-for-hire plot steps forward

NORTH LIBERTY - Three weeks after hiring a new landscaper about a year ago, Ronald Robi says the man approached him with an odd question.

The man asked Robi whether he'd ever killed anyone, Robi said Friday.

And that's how Robi says he got entangled in Justin DeWitt's alleged plot to kill a business associate and his family - a scheme that was revealed to police when Robi played for them a recording he said he made on June 8 when the two men discussed the details of the murder-for-hire scheme.

Robi played the 17-minute clip he said he shared with police for members of the media on Friday outside the Johnson County Courthouse.

Robi, 64, formerly went by the name Ronald L. Evans and has spent - by his count - about 35 years in prison for various offenses, including second-degree theft and ongoing criminal conduct. About 10 years ago, he was charged with bigamy.

While he initially balked at the idea of going to the police with his recording, he said his actions would help him atone for his past crimes.

'It was a chance to redeem myself,” he said.

DeWitt, 36, a landscaper from North Liberty, was arrested last week on four counts of attempted murder and four counts of solicitation to commit murder after police received a tip about his efforts to have a business associate, Chad Williams and his family killed.

North Liberty Police Chief Diane Venenga said police learned of DeWitt's plans after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen.

Robi - named as a witness in the case in court documents - was the tipster, sources told The Gazette.

Robi said he hired DeWitt as a landscaper for his North Liberty home about a year ago.

He said after DeWitt learned about Robi's criminal past, he approached him to see if he had killed anyone or knew anyone who could kill someone for him. From that point on, Robi said he 'embellished” his own criminal history and connections to keep conversations going.

The topic came up several times over the ensuing months, Robi said.

'I thought he was pulling my leg,” he said.

Williams and DeWitt were former business partners, Robi said. State records list Williams as the owner of Absolute Outdoor Services Inc., a lawn care and landscaping business that shares an address in Riverside with DeWitt's Lawn & Landscaping Solutions Inc.

Robi said he took the recording to the North Liberty police and played it for them. Police would later set up a sting in which DeWitt met with an undercover officer in Iowa City and agreed to pay the officer - thinking he was a hit man - $1,000 as a down payment to have the family killed, authorities said.

When he played the recording for police, Robi said he wanted protection for him and his wife. Since then, he said police have not held up their end of the bargain and they've been on the receiving end of threats.

Venenga said police have taken precautionary measures to protect Williams and his family. She said in terms of protective orders, they can be issued after criminal charges or requested through a judge.

'If an individual person is receiving threats, I would encourage them to contact the police about options,” she said.

Attempted murder is a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. Solicitation to commit murder is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. DeWitt has pleaded not guilty to those offenses.

He remains in custody on a $600,000 cash bail.