Man arrested for soliciting murder

by Al Summers
News Editor • alsummers@timescourier.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Gilmer County man has been arrested for soliciting themurder of his wife. What hedid not know was the killer with which he was negotiating was an undercover lawenforcement officer.

According to Det. Lane Bennett of the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Department’s Criminal Investi gation Division (CID), Robert Goldman, 72, of Ellijay, was arrested in an undercover operation Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 25, in East Ellijay with-out incident. At press time Tuesday evening, Goldman was being held in the Gilmer County Detention Center without bond pending a court appearance. He is charge with two counts of criminal solicitation to commit murder, a crime that could carry up to 10 years in prison if he is found guilty.

Bennett told the Times-Courier that the undercover operation was initiated by the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Department when Goldman approached an undercover law enforcement officer and paid the officer money on at least two occasions to murder his wife and her caretaker. The detective said the intended victims were never in any danger because the hired gun was a law enforcement officer.

Bennett expressed appreciation to all of the detectives of the county’s CID, agents from the Zell Miller Mountain Parkway Drug Task Force, and East Ellijay Police Chief Greg Arp for their assistance in Goldman’s arrest.