By NANCY HILER
"It's a very serious case," said Eric Phillips, a spokesman for District Attorney Kathleen Rice. The D.A.'s office, Phillips added, "moved very fast given the nature of the threat."
Authorities were tipped off by a friend of Paul¹s who was allegedly called on to do the deed, and, Phillips said, "The case was investigated thoroughly by the police and the district attorney's office." The D.A.'s office arranged a meeting between Paul and an undercover detective posing as a hit man on the night of Dec. 18, at which Paul promised to pay $200,000 after the murder was completed, according to the D.A.'s office. The meeting took place in Paul's car, with his 3-year-old son in the backseat, in the parking lot of a McDonald's in Uniondale, according to Phillips.
"Paul gave the detective a $2,500 deposit and a copy of his wife's $1 million life insurance policy, for which he is the sole beneficiary, as proof that he would be able to make the payment after the killing," the D.A.'s office stated. The defendant also provided a photograph of his wife, her business card, license plate number and her daily schedule, and asked that she be stabbed in the heart, the office said.
Paul maintains his innocence, and his wife continues to support him, according to published reports. Police said she was so surprised by the allegations that when her husband didn't come home the night of his arrest, she filed a missing-person report. Prosecutors say the undercover detective videotaped the meeting with Paul, and that when she saw it, she would be convinced of his intentions, according to reports. Mrs. Paul could not be reached for comment at press time.
Her husband, the owner of a mortgage insurance company, pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail at a court conference in Mineola on Dec. 22. Assistant District Attorney Anne Donnelly of the Rackets Bureau is handling the prosecution. The case was adjourned until Jan. 9. If convicted of the charge, Paul could face up to 25 years in prison.
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