Plano man solicited cop killing, police say

Authorities announced charges Monday against a Plano man accused of soliciting the murder of a Kane County sheriff's detective.

Dijon R. Grissette, 35, of the 600 block of Center Avenue, was charged Friday with solicitation for murder and solicitation for murder for hire, according to the state's attorney's office. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison.

Grissette is accused in court documents of offering $3,000 to a fellow Kane County jail inmate in exchange for having the inmate's brother kill a sheriff's deputy as Grissette awaited trial on a drug charge. The Kane County Major Crimes Task Force uncovered the plot after a tipster alerted the sheriff's office in November that one of its officers might be in danger, State's Attorney John Barsanti said Monday.

"That's normally how these cases start," Barsanti said. "Someone tells you somebody's been approached about something like this."

Formerly of Sugar Grove, Grissette has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1988 in Kane County, records show. Most recently, he was charged in other cases with aggravated battery of a peace officer or fire official and cocaine delivery or manufacturing.

Judge Allen M. Anderson set Grissette's bail in the murder solicitation case at $4 million Saturday. He remained in custody Monday night, with an initial court appearance set for Thursday, officials said.

In a statement, Kane County Sheriff Pat Perez commended task force investigators for their "diligent work on and attention to this case."

"We view seriously any threat on the life or health of an employee of the Kane County Sheriff's Department," he said.