Suspect in hitman hire pleads guilty

SANDUSKY — A Milan woman's future could include a federal prison cell after she pleaded guilty Monday to trying to hire a hitman to kill her former son-in-law.Sandra Haughawout, 70, of Perrin Road, changed her plea to one count of felony solicitation to commit a crime of violence from "not guilty" to "guilty" Monday in Toledo's U.S. District Court, according to a court docket.Haughawout faces a maximum 20 years in prison for that charge, according to U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Michael Tobin.Haughawout was arrested in June after she allegedly contracted with a "hitman" — who was actually an undercover FBI agent — to have a man killed, according to a criminal complaint.The complaint states she offered the agent $8,000 upfront and another $2,000 after the "deed" was done. Haughawout allegedly met the agent, who was wearing audio and video recording equipment, and showed him the would-be victim's picture and his home, vehicles and where he worked.She also allegedly told the agent to use the code phrase "had put the dog down" to signal a successful killing, the complaint states. After her arrest, Haughawout was held in the Lucas County Corrections Center before she was moved to a facility in Napoleon, Ohio.She was formally charged Sept. 11, Haughawout pleaded not guilty during her arraignment Sept. 17, according to a court docket. During that hearing, a change of plea hearing was scheduled for Monday.Judge James Carr set Haughawout's sentencing for Feb. 4, 2019, and her detention will continue in the meantime, the docket states.Reach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterSandra Lee Haughawout