NCO charged in alleged murder-for-hire plot

  • Published
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Air Force officials preferred charges March 12 against a recruiter assigned to the 341st Recruiting Squadron here for allegedly being involved in a murder-for-hire plot and other criminal activity.

Tech. Sgt. Rodney E. Wells is charged in separate incidents of conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit murder, soliciting a civilian to commit prostitution and conspiracy to commit assault.

The charges of conspiracy to commit murder involve an alleged agreement between Sergeant Wells, Claire Sickles and a civilian to commit the murder of Mrs. Sickles’ husband, Staff Sgt. Daniel Sickles.

Additionally, Sergeant Wells is alleged to have encouraged another staff sergeant to hire him to arrange the murder of the staff sergeant’s wife. When the staff sergeant refused to be a part of the murder, Sergeant Wells is alleged to have solicited the wife to have her hire him to murder her husband in exchange for a portion of the life insurance proceeds.

In the prostitution charge, Sergeant Wells is alleged to have taken a civilian to Houston for the purpose of helping her find a job. Once in Houston, Sergeant Wells is alleged to have asked the civilian to have sex with several of his civilian friends in exchange for money.

Sergeant Wells is charged with conspiracy to commit assault for conspiring with three civilian friends to assault a military co-worker who had expressed concerns to Sergeant Wells’ superiors about his off-duty conduct. Sergeant Wells also allegedly threatened the co-worker.

Sergeant Wells has been held in pretrial confinement here since Feb. 6 and will remain in confinement until a trial commences. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)