PANAMA CITY — Authorities have arrested a man who investigators said was hired as a hitman and charged him with not registering as a career criminal, according to court records.
Omar Fidel Redmon, 34, was arrested Tuesday on the felony charge. Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators had sought Redmon since Feb. 6 for allegedly failing to register as a felon before he was apprehended and charged him with not registering to be a career criminal, according to court records.
Since 1994, Redmon has been convicted of manslaughter, cocaine possession and selling a substance in lieu of a controlled substance. He already has entered a plea of not guilty to the current charges and demanded a jury trial, court records indicated.
BCSO previously released information Redmon played a role in the death of 29-year-old Cagney Aaron Benson. Fredricus Vondell White, 27, was arrested Feb. 11 and charged with principal to commit murder after investigators claimed he hired Redmon, his uncle, to perform a hit for nearly $6,000.
Murder charges have not been filed, but the investigation is continuing.
White allegedly was motivated to kill Benson because Benson recently had robbed him, BCSO reported.
Benson was found in a parked 2009 Chevy Cobalt on Dec. 18 at about 7:30 a.m. at an intersection in the Maharaj Mobile Home Park, located at 518 Everett Ave. Police found Benson shot once in the face and once behind the ear, BCSO reported.
Investigators said the night before Benson was found dead, Benson and two other men robbed White. One witness told investigators that Benson put a gun to White’s head and threatened to kill him, but one of the two other assailants stopped him. Benson then allegedly robbed White of his jewelry, cellphone, money and drugs, investigators reported.
Benson showed up later at Bambi’s Dollhouse, 2915 U.S. Business 98, at about 2:30 a.m. and attempted to sell some marijuana one witness said belonged to White. The witness attempted to call White several times to alert him and eventually received a text message from White stating, “Watch Benson and see what kind of car he gets in,” according to BCSO reports.
Investigators said White then called his uncle with the details. Redmon allegedly drove that night from his home in Luverne, Alabama, to Panama City. According to cellphone records, Redmon was near the mobile home park on Everett Avenue. The phone then was turned off for 19 minutes, the period in which investigators believe Benson was killed, BCSO said.
Redmon then drove briefly to Callaway before returning to Alabama.
Investigators issued a warrant for Redmon’s arrest on Feb. 9 for allegedly filing false information about his Bay County residence before leaving the state. He is being held on a $7,500 bond.