LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville doctor is facing federal charges, accused of trying to pay an undercover FBI agent to kill her ex-husband.
The Department of Justice said 52-year-old Stephanie Russell contacted an undercover FBI agent, who was posing as a hitman, and agreed to pay $7,000 to the agent in exchange for murdering her ex-husband.
Russell allegedly left a partial payment of $3,500 outside her medical office in a drop box Wednesday and agreed to pay the other half after her ex-husband was killed.
She was arrested Thursday by FBI agents and booked into the Oldham County Detention Center around 5:30 p.m.
Court records indicate Russell's ex-husband filed for divorce in 2018, and it became final in 2020. The two were involved in an ongoing custody dispute before her arrest.
Russell is a pediatrician at KidzLife Pediatrics in Prospect. A "closed" sign was posted on the door of the hospital Friday morning.
This photo dated May 20, 2022, shows a "closed" sign on the door of KidzLife Pediatrics at 10639 Meeting Street in Louisville, Ky. (WDRB photo)
The Louisville Metro Police Department assisted the FBI in the investigation.
If convicted, Russell could face 10 years in federal prison, where there is no parole.
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