Sheriff's Detectives Arrest Man in Murder Hire Plot

Sant Barbara - September 28th, 2011

A Santa Maria man, already in custody in the Santa Barbara County Jail, has been re-booked on $1,000,000 bail after Sheriff’s Detectives assigned to the Special Investigations Bureau arrested him in a murder for hire plot.

The investigation began when the Sheriff’s Office learned that 36-year old Felix Federico Nicolas (DOB 10/31/74) of Santa Maria, wanted to hire someone to kill the victims in his pending rape and child molestation cases.

An investigation was undertaken during which time Nicolas positively identified his intended victims through social media photographs and also negotiated an undisclosed price to have the hits carried out. 

On Wednesday, September 28, 2011, Sheriff’s detectives arrested Nicolas and charged him with solicitation to commit murder, which is a felony (653F(B) PC) and felony dissuading a victim to testify (136.1 PC).  Nicolas was re-booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail Tuesday evening where he remains at this time. 


The intended victims were informed of Nicolas's intentions and of his subsequent arrest. Due to the nature of the original charges (rape and child molestation), and the responsibility to protect the identities of the victims, no further information will be released.

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please contact Drew Sugars, Public Information Officer.

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EMAIL:pio@sbsheriff.org