A Beverly Hills man pleaded guilty on June 13 to a federal charge that he attempted to hire a hitman to kill a woman he briefly dated and who repeatedly tried to break off their relationship.

The defendant, Scott Quinn Berkett, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire. According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, Berkett met the victim online in 2020, and the woman flew to Los Angeles to meet Berkett in late October 2020. The victim, who described Berkett’s behavior as “sexually aggressive,” tried on several occasions to break off the relationship after the October trip, according to the affidavit.

Authorities said in April 2021, a family member of the victim, who had learned that Berkett continued to contact her, called and sent text messages to Berkett’s father. On April 20, Berkett appears to have responded to the messages, saying “consider this matter closed,” the affidavit stated. It was unclear if the father intervened in the situation. Berkett’s father was not charged.

Berkett admitted in his plea agreement that in April 2021, he solicited and paid for murder-for-hire services using a website on the darknet. Berkett provided specific directions and details about his target. As payment for the victim’s murder, Berkett sent bitcoin payments totaling approximately $13,000. Representatives of the website contacted law enforcement.

In May 2021, an undercover officer contacted Berkett while posing as the hitman, authorities said. The  officer sent Berkett photographs of the victim and Berkett confirmed they showed his intended victim and that he had made bitcoin payments to pay for her murder. Berkett further requested proof of her murder and made an additional $1,000 payment to the undercover officer via Western Union for her death, authorities added.

United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a sentencing hearing on Sept. 12 for Berkett. The defendant will face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.