MONTELLO - A Portage County man is wanted by authorities and faces 115 years in prison for allegedly conspiring to kill a Portage County district attorney, burning down a home and beating a man with a baseball bat.

Authorities are searching for Frederick L. Lucht, 37, of Amherst, who was charged Monday in Marquette County Circuit Court with conspiracy to commit first-degree intentional homicide, conspiracy to commit arson of a building, and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery.

Authorities with the Marquette County Sheriff's Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation received a tip in September from an inmate of the Marquette County Jail that Lucht had talked to him about killing a Portage County assistant district attorney, burning down the house of a friend, and attacking a second friend, according to a criminal complaint.

Lucht offered an undercover agent $10,000 to kill the district attorney, burn down the friend's house and attack the third friend with a baseball bat, the complaint stated.

The undercover agent met with Lucht several times, in which Lucht confirmed that he was serious about wanting the plans accomplished, and the agent requested a rifle as collateral, the complaint stated.

The agent was given a .22 rifle as collateral that he would be paid after he accomplished the plans, the complaint stated.

The meetings took place in Marquette County, according to the complaint, but the agent obtained the gun outside the county.

Lucht was jailed in December 2007 after he allegedly threatened to shoot a Portage County judge.

Marquette County District Attorney Richard Dufour refused to comment on the case Thursday afternoon.

sgreen@capitalnewspapers.com

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