Hearing set in murder-for-hire plot

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – An Oklahoma City man charged with trying to hire a co-worker to kill his pregnant girlfriend is scheduled to appear in an Oklahoma County courtroom.

Prosecutors say 31-year-old Preston Rhoads asked a former co-worker to help him poison his girlfriend with ricin to kill both her and her fetus. The former co-worker notified the FBI of the alleged plot.

A court affidavit filed in the case says Rhoads contacted the former co-worker and produced a vial of ricin, a deadly toxin extracted from seeds of the castor bean plant. The plot was never carried out.

Online court records indicate Rhoads has waived his right to a jury trial on a charge of solicitation to commit murder. He has pleaded not guilty but is scheduled to enter a new plea Thursday.