A 38-year-old Basehor man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to attempting to hire someone to kill his wife, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Lee D. Smith in May contacted, then agreed to pay, a man — identified in court documents as a confidential informant — $1,800 to murder Smith’s wife.

The man Smith tried to hire for the murder then contacted Kansas City, Mo., police.

At the instructions of police, the man Smith tried to hire called Smith and informed him he had carried through with the murder and asked for the money, according to the news release.

Smith cashed a check for $1,600 in preparation to pay the man. However, Smith was called to the Kansas City police, as Smith was told police had news about his wife.

When Smith arrived at the police station, he was arrested.

Smith could face a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison for the crime. A sentencing date has yet to be set.