Lake County Jail inmate charged with trying to hire undercover cop as hitman

A Lake County Jail inmate has been charged with trying to hire an undercover detective to kill a witness in his case.

Ade Tramble, 45, was charged Tuesday with a felony count of solicitation of murder for hire, according to a statement from the Lake County sheriff’s office.

Tramble began communicating with someone he thought was a hitman, but was actually an undercover detective, about killing a witness who was set to testify against him, the sheriff’s office said.

“Witnesses should never fear for their safety or be intimidated into not testifying,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said in the statement. “We will always be here to protect the safety of victims and witnesses.”

Tramble has been held at the Lake County Jail since October 2018 on charges of home invasion, unlawful restraint and domestic battery related to a Zion police investigation, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators learned in December that he was trying to contact a hitman.

Tramble remains held at the jail on $500,000 bail and his next court date was scheduled for March 14, according to the sheriff’s office.