A 51-year-old Bonney Lake man was arrested Friday for allegedly attempting to hire a hit man to kill his wife.

Police arrested Daniel L. Fiscus outside his home after a nearly three-week investigation that began with a tip from a man Fiscus hired to kill his wife for an insurance payout.

Fiscus was arraigned in Pierce County Superior Court for conspiracy to commit murder. He pleaded not guilty and is currently being held in Pierce County Jail in lieu of $5 million bail.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department received a tip Dec. 21 from a man who claimed Fiscus had paid him $5,000 to murder his wife. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest.

Fiscus’ wife left their shared residence in November, filing for divorce shortly thereafter. She referred to her husband as “physically aggressive and hostile” in court documents.

She cited incidents in which her husband allegedly attempted to pull a man from his car because he thought he had been cut off, and repeated physical abuse of their dogs, including throwing one off a 15-foot deck and beating another severely.

Her husband eventually learned of her whereabouts, she said. The court issued a temporary mutual restraining order until the couple’s scheduled court hearing.

He was also financially controlling, giving her $1,000 a month to pay bills, she said.

It is unclear whether finances contributed to the deterioration of the marriage, or directly motivated any alleged attempt on Fiscus’ part to kill his wife. She told the court that her husband earns more than $95,000 a year. Fiscus claimed she earned $60,000 a year.

Investigators said Fiscus’ wife has not been harmed and she is aware of the alleged plot to take her life.

Fiscus does not have a prior criminal record.

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