Businessman Pleads Not Guilty to Charges in Murder-for-Hire Case

A Tustin businessman has pleaded not guilty to charges that he hired a reputed mobster to arrange the murder of his secretary’s boyfriend.

Julius Frederick Schill, 57, entered his plea in a federal court hearing Monday and was ordered to stand trial March 10.

Richard Marion Dota, 55, the man Schill allegedly hired to arrange the killing, also pleaded not guilty.

Federal authorities said Schill, the owner of the Tustin-based Auto Photo Systems, was expected to be released on $1.25-million bail Tuesday.

Schill and Dota were indicted earlier this month in connection with the attempted murder of Wilbur Constable, 25, of Mission Viejo, who was engaged to Schill’s secretary, Cynthia Asher, 24.

According to law enforcement officials, Schill allegedly wanted his secretary’s fiance dead so he could try to pursue a romance with her. He allegedly paid Dota $50,000 to arrange the killing, officials said.

Authorities further allege that Dota then hired three thugs who beat Constable with baseball bats and shot him in the back of the head. Constable survived.

The three men who allegedly tried to kill Constable are being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail each and are currently awaiting trial. They are: Blake Tek Yoon, 27, of San Rafael, Calif.; John Caravaggio, 28, of Morristown, N.J., and Scott Douglas Smith, 23, of Denville, N.J.