Wearing a wire, inmate Timothy Bryce let fellow prisoner Michael Martin spill his guts.
Martin, 46, wanted the prosecutor who put him in jail murdered. He wanted a businessman trying to develop land near his Lutherville home killed. He even wanted an old lady?s house burned down.
A Baltimore County jury decided Thursday night that Martin’s hit list ? which came with addresses and details ? was a real murder solicitation against the businessman, not just “venting,” as his defense attorney argued. The jury, however, acquitted Martin of attempting to arrange the prosecutor’s murder.
“We don?t realize how dangerous this job can be,” Baltimore County Assistant State?s Attorney Allan Webster told a Circuit Court jury Thursday. “This job is scary, and Michael Martin is a prosecutor?s worst nightmare.”
Martin?s attorney, Steven Scheinin, said his client ? a computer technician and former president of his homeowners? association ? was “conned” by Bryce, whom he described as a “career criminal.”
Using the information he provided to police, Bryce negotiated his way out of jail, despite two open warrants, Scheinin said.
Bryce now has four open warrants and cannot be found by police.
“I can imagine that Timothy Bryce, wherever he is, is probably laughing,” Scheinin said. “Look at all the turmoil he?s caused. He caused an innocent man to be charged with a crime. He?s been released. He?s committed more crimes. He?s probably very pleased with himself. He?s a con artist, who pulled a very good con.”
Martin is accused of asking Bryce to kill Assistant State?s Attorney Jason League, who prosecuted a 2005 sex offense case against Martin ? the first criminal offense of his life, Scheinin said.
According to charging documents, Martin also wanted the inmate to castrate prosecutor John Cox, who had taken over for League.
Martin pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree sex offense against a neighborhood child ? and related charges ? and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
As he sat in jail, Martin tried to arrange a hit on the prosecutor who helped put him away, Webster said.
“Michael Martin is a smart man. He?s calculating,” said Webster, who added that Martin staked out League?s house and gave detailed maps and directions to Bryce for the alleged hit.
“If that?s not the most frightening thing, I don?t know what is,” he said.
