Lake County Jail Inmate Charged With Trying To Hire Hitman

WAUKEGAN, IL — A Lake County jail inmate tried to hire a hitman to kill a witness due to testify against him, authorities said.

Ade Tramble, 46, of the 6300 block of North Hermitage Avenue in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, was charged Tuesday with solicitation of murder for hire following a two-month investigation, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Tramble has been jailed since Oct. 18 in lieu of the $50,000 cash portion of his bond following his arrest by Zion police, the sheriff's office said.

According to court records, he has been indicted on 12 felony counts, including home invasion with a firearm, aggravated unlawful restraint, armed habitual criminal and domestic battery with prior convictions, among others. A preliminary trial date was set in April.

In December, sheriff's office investigators learned Tramble was trying to make contact with a hitman, according to Sgt. Chris Covelli. Detectives learned he was targeting a witness he expected to take part in his trial.

An undercover detective from the sheriff's gang task force began communicating with Tramble, who believed he was making arrangements with a contract killer.

“If it weren’t for the complete and thorough investigation conducted by our detectives and members of the Sheriff’s Gang Task Force, we could have been investigating the murder of a witness," Sheriff John Idleburg said in a statement.

Tramble faces a class X felony charge of soliciting a murder for hire, which carries a sentence of between 20 and 40 years in prison.

"Witnesses should never fear for their safety or be intimidated into not testifying," Idleburg said. "We will always be here to protect the safety of victims and witnesses."

A preliminary hearing on Tramble's murder for hire charge is set for March 14. He is due back the following day for a cast management conference in his Zion case.