David Butka arrested for attempting to hire a hitman for neighbor
23 september 2026 в 03:37
David Butka, a 69-year-old resident of Florida, was arrested on charges of attempting to orchestrate the murder of his neighbor over a dispute regarding a drone. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Butka has been charged with solicitation to commit murder.
Butka was already in custody after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in connection with an incident involving the same neighbor on July 22. He was scheduled to be released on September 17, but on September 16, another inmate reported Butka’s plans to a guard, according to documents obtained by Us.
During the July incident, a witness told authorities that Butka and the neighbor were involved in an ongoing civil dispute over Butka flying a drone over their property. The victim claimed that upon noticing the drone above his house, he began recording the event on his phone. At that time, Butka allegedly «aggressively» threw a rock at their car, leaving «scratches and dents».
According to the documents, on September 7 or 8, Butka approached another inmate and offered him $ 5,000 in advance to kill the neighbor. He also provided information about the victim, including the address, phone number, and physical description. Butka gave the inmate his credit card information so that he could deposit $ 300 into his prison account.
The inmate wrote down the details of the plan on paper and handed the note to a representative of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on September 16, leading to additional charges against Butka. He denied any involvement in the conspiracy, claiming that the money was intended for legal fees. According to Sergeant James Vachon, it is unclear why Butka wanted the witness killed, other than out of anger and revenge. Bail for the new charge has been set at $ 25,000. It is unclear whether he has hired an attorney or filed a motion regarding the new charge.
Butka was already in custody after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in connection with an incident involving the same neighbor on July 22. He was scheduled to be released on September 17, but on September 16, another inmate reported Butka’s plans to a guard, according to documents obtained by Us.
During the July incident, a witness told authorities that Butka and the neighbor were involved in an ongoing civil dispute over Butka flying a drone over their property. The victim claimed that upon noticing the drone above his house, he began recording the event on his phone. At that time, Butka allegedly «aggressively» threw a rock at their car, leaving «scratches and dents».
According to the documents, on September 7 or 8, Butka approached another inmate and offered him $ 5,000 in advance to kill the neighbor. He also provided information about the victim, including the address, phone number, and physical description. Butka gave the inmate his credit card information so that he could deposit $ 300 into his prison account.
The inmate wrote down the details of the plan on paper and handed the note to a representative of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on September 16, leading to additional charges against Butka. He denied any involvement in the conspiracy, claiming that the money was intended for legal fees. According to Sergeant James Vachon, it is unclear why Butka wanted the witness killed, other than out of anger and revenge. Bail for the new charge has been set at $ 25,000. It is unclear whether he has hired an attorney or filed a motion regarding the new charge.
© Kolganov Andrey
