A Mississippi man who starred on the OWN reality TV show "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" was arrested for allegedly hiring someone to kill his nephew, who was fatally shot in 2016.
James Timothy Norman, of Jackson, Mississippi, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly conspiring with an exotic dancer to kill Andre Montgomery so that he could collect money from a life insurance policy on the teenager, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of Missouri.
He has been charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of a murder-for-hire, resulting in death.
An affidavit for Norman was sealed, but authorities said the criminal complaint accuses him of taking out a $450,000 life insurance policy on his 18-year-old nephew in 2014 on which he was the sole beneficiary.
In the days leading up to the March 14, 2016 murder, the exotic dancer, Terica Ellis, reached out to Montgomery and told him that she was going to be in St. Louis. Norman flew out to St. Louis from his Los Angeles home the day before his nephew's death, according to the press release.
"On March 14, 2016, Ellis and Norman communicated using temporary phones activated that day," the release states. "Ellis also used the temporary phone to communicate with Montgomery and learn his physical location. Immediately after learning Montgomery’s location, Ellis placed a call to Norman."
Montgomery was shot and killed later that night. Authorities said cellphone signals placed Ellis in the vicinity of where he was murdered.
"Immediately following Montgomery’s murder, Ellis placed a call to Norman, and then began traveling to Memphis, Tennessee. In the days after the murder, Ellis deposited over $9,000 in cash into various bank accounts," according to the press release.
About a week after the murder, authorities allege that Norman tried to collect on the life insurance policy.
Ellis was also arrested and charged with the same crime as Norman. Her attorney declined to comment on the case when contacted Tuesday. A public defender for Norman could not immediately be reached.
Norman appeared on the reality TV show "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" with his family, including his mother Robbie Montgomery. The show followed Robbie, the owner of several soul food restaurants. It ran on OWN from 2011 to 2018.