Model murder plot: Man sentenced to 9 years in prison

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A local businessman who was caught on tape trying to hire a hit man to kill his model wife has been sentenced to nine years in state prison.

Dino Guglielmelli has been behind bars for eight months for attempting to hire friend and business associate Richard Fuhrmann to kill his then-wife Monica Andreny, a model who once walked the runway for top designers.

Guglielmelli, 52, pleaded no contest last week as part of a deal that reduced the charge from first to second-degree attempted murder. If his trial led to a conviction, he could have faced a life sentence.

During her victim impact statement on Wednesday, Andreny described her ex-husband as a talented, but evil, man.

"He has a dark side that can be well hidden to even experts," she said. "He shows little empathy, but rather seeks to destroy those who loved him most, namely and most importantly, the mother of his children."

Guglielmelli and Andreny married in 2004. They had been locked in a bitter divorce and had fought over money and custody of their children. During the nearly year-long plot, Guglielmelli had no idea that Fuhrmann was working with authorities and recording their numerous conversations. In one of the tapes, the two men discuss an $80,000 payment for carrying out the murder. Those tapes would have been played for a jury in a trial.

Guglielmelli's attorney, Anthony Brooklier, says his client never had trouble with the law before this. He says Guglielmelli is looking to serve his time and turn his life around.

"People say things that they don't really mean. The emotions run high and they regret them later. But sometimes, we're stuck with what we do and what we say and we have to pay for it, and that's the situation here," said Brooklier.

With time served and reductions for good behavior, Guglielmelli could be released in little more than seven years. Andreny says she is worried about her safety when he is released. She is already seeking a restraining order.

Guglielmelli is a once-successful businessman who made millions in the nutrition supplement industry. After his arrest last October, Guglielmelli's once thriving company in Valencia went into bankruptcy.