~NEWS Man plotted samurai sword hit on wife~

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Man plotted samurai sword hit on wife

NEW YORK (AP) -- A man who believed his wife was unfaithful tried to hire a hit man to kill her and chop off her hand with a samurai sword so he could get back a $27,000 diamond wedding ring, police said Friday.

Rockerfelle Auguste was arrested last week at his Manhattan office on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

Police say the 35-year-old Auguste, a designer at an architectural firm, suspected his wife was cheating. They say he gave the undercover officer a samurai sword and a $500 deposit.

At a court hearing Friday, prosecutors said Auguste tried to hire a killer because he was angry about spending thousands of dollars on a wedding celebration that never happened. The two were civilly married.

The 26-year-old woman moved out of their Brooklyn home a few months ago after filing a domestic abuse report.

Auguste, who denied the charges, was being held without bail. His attorney, Kevin Morgan, said Auguste has no criminal record.

A woman who answered the phone early Friday at his home said she had no comment. She said she was his sister but declined to give her name.