FBI Cleveland
Public Affairs Officer Susan Licate
November 17, 2020

FBI Cleveland Announces Arrest in Murder-for-Hire Plot

The Cleveland Division of the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office—Northern District of Ohio, announce the arrest of Scott Allen Renninger, age 52, of Uniontown, Ohio.

Renninger was taken into custody at his residence this morning, November 17, without incident.

According to the complaint affidavit, beginning in October 2020, Renninger stated to a confidential source that he wanted to make his wife “disappear”. An investigation, to include recorded conversations by FBI agents between two separate FBI confidential sources and Renninger, was initiated.

On November 11, 2020, during a recorded conversation, Reninnger stated that he knew he would be under scrutiny “once it all goes down” and he accepts it and is prepared for it. Renninger and the second confidential source discussed the existence of an unknown amount of life insurance on his wife. The second confidential source and Renninger also discussed a price of $20,000 to make his wife “....kinda want her to disappear,....you know like if they never find her….”. Renninger explained that he knows the price of $20,000 would need to not be paid in big numbers, as anything over ten thousand in one transaction is a problem.

Renninger has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder. He will have an initial appearance today, November 17, 2020, at 4 p.m. in Judge Burke’s courtroom in Akron, Ohio.