Ohio Man Accused In Murder-For-Hire Plot Targeting His Wife: DOJ

UNIONTOWN, OH — An Ohio man has been accused of organizing a murder-for-hire plot to kill his wife, the Department of Justice announced.

Scott Allen Renninger, 52, of Uniontown, was indicted by a federal grand jury Friday with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.

“This defendant allegedly went to great lengths to organize, pay for and attempt a murder-for-hire plot,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “I am thankful for the hard work of the FBI and the investigators in this case who worked tirelessly to protect the victim and ensure that this defendant would not be able to enact this plot.”

In June 2020, Renninger's wife filed for a restraining order against her husband. In August, she filed for divorce.

In October 2020, Renninger offered a confidential FBI source $20,000 to kill his wife, the indictment said. The source met with Renninger several times and discussed how to kill the wife, prosecutors said. The source passed that information on to the FBI.

Renninger gave the source photos of his wife, her license plate information and other materials about the woman, the indictment said.

A second FBI source then met with Renninger and discussed the need for burner phones, prosecutors said. Renninger then said he wanted is wife to "disappear," the indictment said.

Renninger then agreed to pay $20,000 to have his wife killed, prosecutors said.

On Nov. 17, 2020, federal agents took Renninger into custody. His wife was not hurt.

"The FBI commends the individual(s) that came forward to report Mr. Renninger’s desire to, in his words, make his wife disappear,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Smith. “Without this vital information, Mrs. Renninger may have very well lost her life. It is imperative that law enforcement and the public continue to work together to ensure the safety of our communities and its citizens.”

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.