A former Michigan public school teacher was arrested in late April for allegedly paying a hitman $17,800 in Bitcoin to assassinate his wife, Fox 17 reported Thursday.
Nelson Replogle was arrested in Knox County, Tennessee after the FBI received a tip from the BBC that someone had paid $17,800 in Bitcoin to have his wife killed, according to Fox 17.
Nelson Replogle is a former social studies teacher at Thornapple Kellogg High School.https://t.co/RM6Q4K8U6F
— FOX 17 (@FOX17) May 7, 2021
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that can be used to make purchases anonymously. The Bitcoin was traced back to a bitcoin wallet owned by Replogle, according to court documents reviewed by Fox 17. Investigators said they linked the IP address used to transfer funds from a bank account into Coinbase back to Replogle.
Replogle allegedly paid the unidentified hitman $17,800 to kill his wife while she was driving to the veterinarian’s office for a pet’s appointment, and divulged details like what kind of car she would be driving there, according to Fox 17. Before his arrest, authorities said Replogle was caught shredding documents.
Replogle taught social studies at Thornapple Kellogg High School. He was also a former senior class advisor for the class of 2018, the school’s website showed. (RELATED: Public School Teacher Among 10 Men Arrested In Ohio Human Trafficking Bust, Police Say)
A Thornapple Kellogg School District spokesperson told the Daily Caller that Replogle retired from the school on June 1, 2018. It is unclear if he had permanently relocated to Tennessee at the time of the arrest.