Marco Bisbikis
Michigan attorney Marco Bisbikis was arraigned last week on charges related to the murder of one of his clients, including premeditated murder, felony firearm, and conspiracy to commit murder. Bisbikis, a graduate of Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, is accused of masterminding a plot to kill Dan Hutchinson, his client and a jeweler.
Hutchinson was murdered this summer when he was shot multiple times in his car. As reported by Law & Crime:
According to police, the 47-year-old jeweler was killed in a hail of bullets on the day in question when a man on a bicycle pulled up next to the victim’s GMC Denali and began shooting. Another vehicle then pulled up on the other side and more than a dozen additional rounds were fired. At the time, Hutchinson’s wife was also in the SUV. Somehow, Mrs. Hutchinson was uninjured, but the store owner died.
According to Oak Park Police Lieutenant Marlon Benson, authorities quickly focused on the attack as a targeted one, “This was not a random event, it was targeted – as far as reasons, we don’t know why he was targeted but we don’t think this was a (random) event. The number of shots and there was no words exchanged. Nothing in the investigation says that these people knew each other might a had a bad beef with each other.”
Five days after the murder, the alleged shooter, Roy Donta Larry, was arrested. Then in September, two other men wee arrested in connection with the murder, Darnell Larry and Angelo James Raptoplous.
Now police say that Bisbikis was behind the murder. Bisbikis reportedly befriended Hutchinson, working his way into the jeweler’s confidence. He then became a business associate, and even drafted Hutchinson’s will. Authorities say Bisbikis wrote himself into his client’s will, without Hutchinson’s knowledge. That feels like exactly what you learn not to do in a professional responsibility class.
During his arraignment, prosecutors reportedly cited “ample evidence” to support the attorney’s arrest and incarceration pending trial – including alleged proof that he had met with three other men involved in the slaying on numerous occasions. Bisbikis also allegedly was in charge of determining how each member of the alleged conspiracy would be paid for their work.
Bisbikis was denied bond by Judge Michelle Friedman Appel, who found he was a flight risk. He’ll next appear in court on November 15th for a probable cause hearing.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).
