A Florida man who tried to hire a hitman to kill his ex-girlfriend and blame it on Black Lives Matter pleaded guilty to the failed murder-for-hire plot

• A Florida man who tried to have his ex-girlfriend murdered wanted to blame the shooting on Black Lives Matter.
• Daniel Slater told an FBI informant to spray "Black Lives Matter" on the home after a hitman committed the murder.
• Slater was arrested last June and pleaded guilty to one count earlier this month.

A Florida man who attempted to have his his ex-girlfriend and members of her family killed last year, devised a plan to make it look like members of Black Lives Matter were involved in the murder, prosecutors said.

Last June, Daniel Slater, 51, of Jupiter, Florida, hired a hitman via a previous associate to kill his ex-girlfriend, as well as the woman's sister and brother-in-law, whom he believed "impeded" the couple's failed relationship, according to court documents reviewed by Insider. Believing he had found a reliable assassin, Slater instructed his associate to spray paint "Black Lives Matter" on the home in order to implicate the group in the murders, prosecutors said.

Unbeknownst to Slater, however, his former associate was working as an FBI informant, and the hired hitman was actually an undercover FBI agent.

The murders never went through and Slater was arrested days later. Last week, he pleaded guilty to one count after striking a deal with prosecutors to drop several other charges.

Authorities first started investigating Slater after law enforcement found a 26-year-old deceased woman in Everglades National Park in February 2020. Prosecutors said Slater had previously recruited the woman to spy on his ex-girlfriend and kidnap and kill several of her associates, but the deceased woman eventually decided she couldn't "go through" with the murder.

The woman's death was ruled an accidental drug overdose, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

But the discovery of the deceased woman led investigators to another associate of Slater's, who began working with the FBI and told authorities Slater had previously paid them money to kill someone, though they did not ultimately do so.

During a meeting in early June, the FBI informant recorded Slater asking the informant to "get" his ex-girlfriend by Sunday, and suggested throwing acid in her face, court documents said. Slater also told the informant to beat her up, knock out her teeth, and break her nose. Slater also gave permission for the informant to "do the sister," referring to his ex-girlfriend's sister, according to prosecutors.

The informant told Slater they would connect him with a suitable hitman for the job.

In exchange, Slater said he would give the informant money and some cocaine to sell. Slater also said he would wipe out a past drug "debt" the informant owed Slater, according to court documents.

Days later, Slater and the informant drove to Slater's ex-girlfriend's sister's home to scout the location, prosecutors said. In a recorded car trip, Slater pointed out a specific window in the home and told his associate to shoot the victims through that window. It was during this conversation that Slater also told his associate to spray "Black Lives Matter" on the home.

But the "hitman" that the associate introduced Slater to was actually an FBI agent.

On June 12, the FBI informant told Slater the murders had been carried out and even showed him photoshopped photos to ensure payment, according to court documents. Slater gave his associate $400 for the hitman and promised additional payment.

Slater was arrested days later.

A federal judge will sentence him in September, according to The Justice Department.

A lawyer representing Slater declined to comment.