The Millionaire, the Model and the Hit Man

20:53Troy Roberts:Monica's lawyer took Rick Furman's information to the district attorney's office, and the case of attempted murder was assigned to none other than Emily Cole. I didn't automatically recognize the googly-melly name. It was his daughter's names that I recognized from the domestic violence case. That's what clicked in my head that I'd met this guy before. But before Cole could make an arrest, her investigators needed solid evidence. The detective said, would you be willing to wear a wire? And I said, sure. On October 1st, 2013, he did just that. You're positive. That what? You want her dead. Oh. 100%.

21:36Why wouldn't I? Why wouldn't you? Good question.

21:50Troy Roberts:On the afternoon of October 1st, 2013, Rick Furman and Dino Guglamelli did something they'd done many times. They were just going to have lunch, and this is where they usually went. Spicy mint chicken. Let's do the penne and curry beef. But prosecutor Emily Cole made sure that this time, the tables were turned. The detectives in this case from the Sheriff's Department major crimes, they were sitting here watching Dino and Furman have their lunch. Was it nerve-wracking having that lunch? Yeah. I was pissed. I was very angry. I literally just want to just grab him from off the, you know, other side of the table and just rack his brain a little bit and go, do you understand that you've got everything?

22:42You've got the frigging American dream and you're just an idiot.

22:45Troy Roberts:Instead, Furman set about catching a killer on tape. There's no going back when we get up out of this seat. So what did Furman have to get out of Dino? Well, first of all, he needed to give him an opportunity to say no, to back out at all times. But he needed for Dino to understand that at the end of this conversation, by the time they walked out that door, that there was no way that Dino was going to be able to stop what he would put in motion. We did exactly the same routine as we've done for a year. It was the same conversation. Nothing was changed. Nothing was embellished. Nothing was made up.

23:33Troy Roberts:In a moment Rick calls typical, Dino is heard justifying his desire to have Monica killed because she lied during a deposition in the domestic violence case against her. When she went into her deposition and lied and said that I scratched myself to set her up, I feel like she never touched me. I know that all those scratches came from me going to the bathroom and scratching myself. And she looked me straight in the eyes and said, that's when I knew that I wanted her to be. But I could never, ever trust her or anything. Anything came out of my mind. And I knew then that she would do anything to hurt me.

24:14Troy Roberts:This is a clip from the recording that was made that day at this restaurant between Dino and Mr. Fuhrman. I'll ask you a simple question. You're positive. They're what? You want her dead. Ah. 100%. Are you sure the girls are fine? They're totally fine. Probably because they're dead. So this is significant because this was a clear declaration that he wanted his wife dead. No matter the consequences, he wants her dead regardless of who it's going to hurt. It's like a dream come true. Seriously. She's tried so hard to hurt me for so long. She's done so much, you know, evil things. Three or four times, I gave him the way out.

25:15Are you sure you want her dead? When I get up out of this seat, it's done. It's over. I think his words were, it's been a long time, but why wouldn't I? Why wouldn't I? Why wouldn't you? Good question. But what are the kids going to do for a mother? Don't worry about it. I'll find a good one. By the time we're out of lunch, it's already done. You just need to figure out how to pay me. Oh, I'll pay. How much? You already told me how much. $80 ,000? That's what you told me.

25:47Troy Roberts:Rick says that in earlier conversations about killing Monica, Dino made it clear he wanted it done while she was traveling abroad. So Rick told Dino that while they were at lunch, Monica was away on vacation in Mexico, where she would die that day. Are you telling me it's going to be done today? Are you serious? Yes. I'm going to leave this room. Rick convinced Dino that a hired assassin in Mexico would kill Monica before they had time to digest their lunch. I don't want to know anything. There you go. I'm not going to tell you that. I'll read about it in the paper. Yes, you will. Mexican experiment.

26:28Troy Roberts:Painfully aware of the sting operation, Monica was hiding out in a hotel room in Beverly Hills. That night, Dino went home to his daughters, presumably thinking their mother was dead. The following day, the recording was brought to me. We listened to it, and then I filed the case. Dino Guglamelli was arrested at his home in Valencia, California, in front of his daughters and charged with attempted murder. They saw him being arrested. The girls were taken into protective custody, and Monica had to pick them up at the jail. What I don't understand is why the hate, the deep-seated anger and hatred towards you?

27:12You know, um, that's a question for him.

27:19Troy Roberts:One I would eventually get to ask him over the phone. You have a prepaid call from Pitchdito, an inmate in corporate California. California.

27:36For years, Gone South has been a podcast about crime in the American South. But for our new season, we're widening the lens. Through deeply reported narrative-driven stories, we're digging into the myths, scandals, and power structures that still shape the South, and in a lot of ways, the country itself. Follow and listen to Gone South Season 5, An Odyssey podcast. Available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows.

28:17Troy Roberts:Hello, Dino. Hi, Jordan. I just want to remind you that you are being recorded, Dino. The only way I could ask Dino Guglamelli why he wanted his wife Monica killed was via telephone. My first question to you is, what mistakes did you make? What are you guilty of? Dino is being held in this facility in Corcoran, California, which doesn't allow cameras. Well, I would say I'm probably, I could say that I'm guilty of allowing myself to be betrayed and manipulated. I'm guilty of working too hard. I'm guilty of trusting too much. Dino says he is the victim here. He calls Rick Furman, a master con man who convinced him they could make millions selling vitamins and supplements to the military.

29:07Troy Roberts:When that con started to unravel, Dino says Rick set him up for attempted murder. You're not taking any responsibility for this? No. No. No. So, Mass. Sherman, why did he do it? After two years and a manipulation on a military contract and all this stuff, why did he do that? He didn't have to. I wasn't going out trying to find somebody to knock off my wife. He had a conversation. Prosecutor Emily Cole confirms that Rick did indeed con Dino into thinking there was a big contract coming his way. Rick forged Department of Defense documents to lead Mr. Guglielmeli to believe that there was some big business deal.

29:53And Mr. Furman explains that he did that in order to keep Mr. Guglielmeli happy, because a happy Dino doesn't want to kill his wife. Is there a military contract? There's military contracts given every day. I particularly am seeking one for supplements. And I'm still working on it today. And that's really all I'll say with that. Our investigation brought forward the information that Mr. Fuhrman only spent a year in the military. He had a very basic military background. He was honorably discharged on injury. Rick Fuhrman is a chameleon because he'll be whatever you want him to be.

30:30Troy Roberts:And just like Emily Cole, we found Richard Fuhrman hard to pin down. Are you a hitman? No. Have you ever killed somebody? Not on U.S. soil. That's it. Move on. But you have killed someone. Move on. He'll say and do what he thinks you want him to do. I think Dino and Mr. Furman were very similar in that respect, and I think that's why they got along so well. But while it was obvious that Rick Furman was a phony, the conspiracy to kill Monica was very real. By the time I'm out of lunch, it's already done. You just need to figure out how to pay me. Oh, I'll pay. How much? You already told me how much.

31:22$80 ,000? That's what you told me.

31:26Troy Roberts:I've listened to the tape, and it's very clear on the tape. You wanted your wife killed and you were willing to pay$80 ,000 to make it happen.

31:59By the time the hour and a half lunch was up and he asked me those questions, I wasn't, you know, was it about killing somebody? I really didn't think anybody was going to be good. I mean, I'm just answering the question. I know what the tape appears to be like, but I didn't take any of it seriously. I really didn't.

32:16Troy Roberts:Dino claims it was Rick Furman who wanted to get rid of Monica because she was trying to sabotage his military contract. He convinces me that Monica is calling them and trying to kill the contract. So he's like, you know, I want to get her out of the country. I want anything I can do to get rid of her. I'm like, Richard, don't talk like that. We'll just pay her when the contract happens. No, no, no. We're not going to get the contract. Do you understand what he's doing? He's sending letters to them. Are you saying to me, Dino, that Rick Furman was the one who proposed killing Monica? All the time, yeah.

32:56Troy Roberts:And you never said that? No. No, you never said it. The more I pressed Dino about what he said on the tape, the more he blamed Rick Furman, and the less his story made sense. Well, on the tape, it's very clear that you understood that once the lunch with Rick was over, there was no turning back, that he was going to kill Monica. He said that to me many times. There's no turning back once this happens. He would say there's no turning back or we don't pay the people on the military contract. They're going to kill both of us. I mean, these were things that he used to say all the time. I didn't take any of it seriously.

33:35I mean, it was normal protocol for him to keep talking like that. I don't think it's my place to go into detail.

33:42Troy Roberts:But we listened to the whole tape, and there is no mistaking what Dino and Rick were discussing. Even Dino's brother agrees. Did you hear the recordings? Yes. Between your brother and Rick Furman? Yes. What did you make of it? The recordings kind of speak for themselves. They had a conversation about killing Monica. Daniel made it clear more than once that he wanted her dead. Yes. And he was willing to pay$80 ,000 to have it done? Yes. Yes, he did. Does that surprise you? Yes, it does surprise me. And I truly believe, though, the whole situation snowballed out of control. I believe in my heart there may be, you know, how guys talk, everybody gets mad, you say things and whatever.

34:35He could say, I wish she was gone. Somebody said, I can get rid of her for you if you want. The guy was a real blowhard. and I could see the situation where he'd say, I can take care of that, no problem. I can do that for you. Sure, go ahead.

35:13kind of ignored it because that was my focus. And that was wrong. It does show a weakness in me being greedy. I should have recognized what was going on. And I'll never forgive myself for that.

35:30Troy Roberts:But to Emily Cole, this wasn't about a phony military contract or Rick Furman. This was a clear-cut case of murder for hire by Dino. And you're sure the girls are fine?

35:51Troy Roberts:There was just one problem. Cole's star witness was an alleged con man. Were you concerned about putting Rick Furman on the stand? To an extent. Why? He had his own credibility issues, and that was brought forward in the preliminary hearing. There were a lot of things that the defense attorney brought up that didn't make him look great. The defense portrayed Furman as a fraud, who manipulated Dina with a fictional multi-million dollar military contract for supplements. Cole knew that would happen again if Furman was called as a witness in front of a jury. But the case wasn't Mr. Furman, it was the tape.

36:29Troy Roberts:But would the tape be enough to convince the jury?

36:49You're positive. That what? You want her dead.

36:54Troy Roberts:Nine months after Dino Guglielmelli was caught on tape and charged with attempted murder for trying to have his wife killed, Emily Cole was preparing for trial. The evidence from the tape had the potential to send Dino away for life. When Mr. Fuhrman tells him that when he leaves this room, he can't change the fact that Monica's going to be killed, and Mr. Guglielmelli agrees to that, that is Mr. Guglielmelli pointing the proverbial gun at Monica. And there's no way for them to, like, come track it back to me, right? No, that's why I asked you about the money. Cole had solid evidence on that tape, but she also had a big problem.

37:33Troy Roberts:Rick Fuhrman himself. Just before trial, she decided she wasn't going to take any chances and made a stunning decision. She offered Dino a deal, plead guilty to attempt a murder in the second degree, and serve only nine years in prison. He had never spent a day in jail previous to this incident. He didn't have a record. Mr. Guglielmelli didn't commit violence on anyone either. And I think this was a fair sentence. I think my life is worth more than that. To me, the intent shows the criminal mind. The intention. So if I try to kill you and the bullet misses you by half an inch, am I less of a criminal because I don't have a good aim?

38:16Is he less of a criminal because Richard came forward?

38:22Troy Roberts:Did you want this to go to trial? Yes. Absolutely. I was shocked. I remember calling, asking them, why are you offering him a plea? What I got back was, don't worry about it, he'll never take it. Don't worry about it. He's going away for life.

38:43Troy Roberts:Why did you take the plea? I took a plea deal because I didn't want you. Did you know I went all the way to the last second before I took the deal? But my mom, my whole family pleaded with me to take the deal. I wasn't going to. I thought the one-fine chance was really worth taking the risk. And I told him all that. I didn't think a jury was going to find me guilty. But after my mom said, please, just take the deal, I took the deal.

39:16Troy Roberts:Dino is serving his time here at this state prison in Corcoran, California. He will be eligible for parole in 2021. won. He will get out angry. He will get out vengeful. And he will get out thinking that the game still needs to be won. Despite suspicions that Rick Furman is a con man, he has not been charged with any crime. His biggest fear is when Dino is released. That's what's scary for me. There isn't any doubt in my mind that my life would be in danger. And Monica fears for her safety as well. I know that my husband's very resourceful. He may have asked Rick, but he could ask many other people too.

40:01He had a lot more than$80 ,000 at his disposal to have me killed.

40:05Troy Roberts:So do you believe money will be waiting for him when he's released? If he has control over it from prison, then absolutely he will have access to several millions. Dina's brother Gino insists there is no money left. She claims that there's$4.5 million overseas. Okay? Go find it. His second wife, oh, there's$20 million overseas. Go find it. How come nobody's finding it? Seriously. Where is it? Honestly, the guy is in prison. Can't somebody go get it? Do you have any sympathy for Monica? No, I think she pretty much brings on all of her misfortune herself. But I didn't like her before, so I'm certainly not going to like her now.

41:01Troy Roberts:What if your brother was actually associating with a real hitman? Monica could be dead today. I guess by the tape, it's probably true. But I believe that my brother in his business world probably knew more capable people if he wanted something like that done than Richard Furman. That's why I think it was just something said between two guys that spiraled out of control. Does Monica have any reason to fear for her safety after you are released from prison? Of course not. But I just want to take care of my kids. I want to pay child support. I want to be a good providing citizen and a good providing father.

41:48Troy Roberts:But Dino might have a hard time with that. Monica is proceeding with divorce, fighting for the house, whatever money is left. And she has full custody of their daughters. How do you explain something like this? and how do you make them adjust to a new life, knowing that their father's alive, knowing that their father, you know, is in prison. Do they know why he's in prison? Yes, they saw him being arrested. So they were very present that morning. Vendela, my youngest, she said, she said, you know, Mommy, God gave Daddy a time out.

42:28Troy Roberts:But Dino still claims he is the victim. I've been criminalized, Troy. It's just destroyed my life. And I don't get it. I don't understand why everyone wants to attack me. And this guy set me up. Monica is lucky because, in the end, Rick Furman is not a killer. He's someone that might bend the truth or omit the truth, but he's not a killer. And that's what saved Monica. Monica's main concern now is her children. I know his intention is to reunite himself with the kids and take those children away from me. I know that that's... Is that one of your greatest fears? Do I think about it? Yes. Am I going to live in fear every day?

43:20No. I'm not going to allow this man to do this to me, no. I intend on really making something of my experience and not shying away from what happened because I think that if somebody can look at my life and what I've been through and learn from it, then I've done something right.

43:42Troy Roberts:Anything else you want to say? You have 30 seconds remaining. You know, it's 15 minutes of fame. It's turned into 30 seconds of fame.

43:56In September 2019, Dino Guglielmelli was released on parole after serving more than six years. His parole ended on June 9, 2021.

44:15Troy Roberts:done. This is the mindset. Free. This is the mantra. Free. This is the mindset. Mindset, mindset. With movies like Interstellar, Dreamgirls, and Gladiator. Are you not entertained? And TV shows like Survivor, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly Odd Parents, and Ghosts, Pluto TV is always free. Huzzah! Pluto TV. Stream now. Pay never. Pluto TV has thousands of free movies and TV shows. I swear. If I'm lying, I'm dying. Like Dreamgirls, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Ghosts. Free. Huzzah! Pluto TV. Stream now, pay never.