Waiel “Wally” Rebhi Yaghnam, a St- Louis music-producer-turned-life-insurance agent and seller of vintage t-shirts, has been charged in the murder-for-hire-plot alongside Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s star, Tim Norman. Yaghnam, who co-produced Nelly’s 2002 sophomore LP, Nellyville, was arrested for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in connection with the plot that killed Norman’s 18-year-old nephew, Andre Montgomery.
According to prosecutors, Yaghnam is accused of helping Norman falsify statements to secure $450,000 in life insurance policies that he took out on Montgomery. Norman was the sole beneficiary of the policies. Yaghnam was arrested last week, becoming the third defendant to be apprehended in the case after Norman and his alleged cohort, 36-year-old Terica Ellis. Norman and Ellis were charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire resulting in death. Additionally, Norman was indicted last week on conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud.
Authorities claim that Norman paid to have Montgomery murdered 2016, in an effort to cash out on nearly half a million dollars. Four days after Montgomery was killed, Norman reached out to Yaghnam to help him with the life insurance policies, prosecutors say. The policy was for $200,000 plus a $250,000 accidental death rider in the event that Montgomery died from natural causes within 10 years of the policy’s insurance. Norman and Yaghnam allegedly submitted information for the policies beginning in 2014.
Norman, 41, previously served 10 years in prison for robbery. In 2017, Norman’s mother, Robbie Montgomery, singer and founder of Sweetie Pie’s, sued him for trademark infringement after he opened multiple restaurants without her permission. Mother and son settled the lawsuit on grounds that Norman would close three restaurants in St. Louis, and pay a percentage of gross sales to the company in exchange for using the name.
Under the settlement, Norman reportedly agreed not to open any other Sweetie Pie’s locations, but it seems that he had plans for a restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was arrested. Norman’s last Instagram post before his arrest announced that he was hiring restaurant employees in Mississippi and directed potential workers to contact him at a Sweetie Pie’s email address.