A man who had starred in the reality television show “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” and testified on Tuesday that he was not engaged in the murder of his nephew stated that he was innocent of the crime.
James “Tim” Norman, age 43, is accused of hiring two individuals to murder Andre Montgomery, age 21, in March of 2016, and then attempting to cash a $450,000 life insurance policy that he had taken out on his nephew in the months before he was killed.
The policy was taken out on his nephew in the months before he was killed.
According to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Norman, who is 43 years old, revealed to the jurors that he assisted his nephew in moving to St. Louis approximately 18 months prior to the time that he was murdered and supported him financially because he was trying to look out for Montgomery.
The famed soul food restaurant “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” was the setting for the reality show “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s,” which aired on the OWN network. The restaurant was established by Norman’s mother and Montgomery’s grandmother, Robbie Montgomery. Norman and Montgomery starred in the show.
In federal court, Norman is being charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud as well as two counts of murder-for-hire.
According to the prosecution, Norman paid $10,000 to an exotic dancer named Terica Ellis with the intention of luring his nephew to the location where he was shot, and he paid $5,000 to Travell Anthony Hill with the intention of having him shoot Montgomery.
Both Ellis and Hill have entered guilty pleas related to their involvement in the conspiracy.
In his testimony on Tuesday, Norman stated that the reason he purchased the life insurance policy on his nephew was so that he could provide some business to Waiel Rebhi Yaghnam, a loyal patron of the family eateries.
Yaghnam entered a guilty plea in July on charges related to the case that included conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and wire fraud.
