Following a disagreement over an inheritance, a father and son from Green Lake County, Wisconsin are charged with planning to murder a member of their family.
Joseph Anthony Hoppa, 62, and his son Jason P. Hoppa, 38, are accused of soliciting first-degree intentional murder. WBAY media reported that the intended victim was Jason’s brother, who is Joseph’s other son, who in January received his grandfather’s entire inheritance.
It is reported that 220 acres of land and an undisclosed sum of money made up the estate.
The Hoppas informed police that they were upset that the older son was the only benefactor. Joseph Hoppa told investigators that he thought the assets should have been divided equally.
Following a complaint that the Hoppas had allegedly given a man money to “take out” the victim, police started looking into the Hoppas in October. They gave the planned hitman “$20,000 now and $20,000 after he took [the individual] out,” according to the complaint.
The intended hitman wore a wire and secretly recorded the Hoppas at one point. He said that Joseph Hoppa threatened him with harm if he went to the police about the negotiations.
Joseph Hoppa allegedly told the would-be assassin that, “There is no love here, I have no affection for this child. I don’t even enjoy identifying him as my son. He’s got to go, no ifs, ands, or buts, he’s got to *** go.”
Jason Hoppa reportedly also stated his desire to have his brother killed.
The Hoppas told police they didn’t try to have the older son killed, and claimed that the idea was completely the hitman’s, according to documents acquired by WLUK-TV. Evidence presented to police by the to-be-hired man dispute their claims.
Hoppa told police he would never hurt his son. He said, “No, I am a Christian” and “I wouldn’t do something like that.”
Both defendants were released on $50,000 bail.