FBI: Lombard man wanted hit after losing $8.2 million judgment
The owner of an Oakbrook Terrace real estate development firm has been arrested and charged in a murder-for-hire plot, the FBI said Thursday.
Authorities say Daniel Dvorkin, 74, of Lombard, initially offered $100,000 to a cooperating witness to find a hitman who would make a person who recently won an $8.2 million civil judgment against Dvorkin “stop breathing.”
The cooperating witness worked with the FBI and recorded several conversations — including one on which Dvorkin said he found a cheaper alternative — before authorities took their case to a federal judge Tuesday.
Dvorkin was arrested Thursday and is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago. He is due in court Friday for a bond hearing and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
According to the FBI criminal complaint, Dvorkin left a message for the cooperating witness April 5, and the two met the next day in the parking lot of Dvorkin's business, Dan Development Ltd., 1 TransAm Plaza.
Dvorkin explained that a corporation won a multimillion judgment against him and he wanted an attorney who owned the corporation to be dealt with.
“I want this guy to stop breathing,” Dvorkin told the witness, according to court documents.
The FBI complaint also states that Dvorkin was appealing the judgment, but if the man were dead, he would not have to pay.
“Dvorkin also indicated that he had considered having this individual beat up by someone pretending to be in the mob, but that 'wasn't enough' because the 'guy' needed to stop breathing,” according to the complaint.
Dvorkin told the witness he'd saved up $35,000 and would provide another $15,000 upfront to whomever the witness could find in Florida to handle the job. A final $50,000 would be paid when the victim was dead. Dvorkin also offered a flight on a private jet and wanted to be out of the country when the victim was killed so he would not be a suspect.
The witness, who was now working with the FBI, wore a wire to Dvorkin's office April 18 and told him he'd found a person in Florida, but the hitman wanted to handle travel on his own and $80,000 to do the job. The pair talked about dollar amounts and agreed to have Dvorkin and the hitman eventually meet in Matteson. The cooperating witness also wore an audio- and video-recording device and met with Dvorkin May 7 at his office. Dvorkin said he had another “avenue” that only wanted 10 percent down and had a fee in the $20,000s, according to the FBI criminal complaint.
The witness asked Dvorkin what he should tell the Florida guy. Dvorkin responded: “Yeah, just tell him it fell through. Now, if nothing happens by the Friday of next week (May 18), I'll call you for another appointment. But there's two things I would like: One was the price, and two, I don't like giving 50 percent down because if something doesn't happen, something doesn't happen,” the complaint said.
FBI officials then notified the intended victim, who was in Texas.
A woman who answered the phone at Dan Development declined to comment.
The company's website says it offers medical, retail, industrial and office space Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Lisle, Lombard, Northbrook and other locations.