Bashara charged in alleged hit man scheme

DETROIT (AP) -- Detroit-area businessman Robert Bashara charged with trying to pay someone to kill the man accused in Bashara's wife's strangulation death has made a brief court appearance. A not guilty plea was entered Tuesday for Robert Bashara during his arraignment in Wayne County Circuit Court. An Aug. 17 scheduling conference was set. Bashara is accused of trying to have a hit man kill jail inmate Joe Gentz, a handyman who is charged with killing Jane Bashara of Grosse Pointe Park. Bashara has not been charged in his wife's death but has been named as a person of interest. He has a new lawyer, Mark Kriger, who says he's getting up to speed on the case. Published: Thu, Aug 9, 2012