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Murder-For-Hire Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

Brooks Kellogg Runs Libertyville Real Estate Agency

DENVER (CBS) - A 72-year-old Chicago real estate developer pleaded not guilty in Colorado Friday to trying to hire a hit man to kill a business associate from Florida.

Brooks Kellogg, the president of a Libertyville real estate agency, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Denver Friday. He wore a gray prison uniform as sat in the courtroom with other inmates waiting for his case to be called.

The part-time resident of Colorado's Steamboat Springs is accused of traveling to Denver last month to arrange the murder of Stephen Bunyard of Destin, Fla., who won a $2.5 million judgment against him.

Kellogg met with an undercover FBI agent at Denver International Airport on Oct. 19 and paid him $2,000 in cash to murder Bunyard, a criminal complaint charges.

The scheme was unraveled by Kellogg's mistress, who convinced him that her husband, whom Kellogg did not know, would be the hitman. Instead, the woman told her husband about the solicitation and he convinced her to contact authorities.

Kellogg's permanent address is in the 100 block of East Chestnut Street in Chicago. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

(TM and © Copyright 2010 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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