10 Year Sentence in Clearwater Murder-for-Hire Case

Two months ago, Ed Graziano pleaded no contest to a charge of solicitation to commit murder in Pinellas County. Prosecutors accused Graziano of planning to have a hit man kill his estranged wife Debra. They claimed the couple had a long history of domestic abuse including punching and stalking and stays at women’s shelters.

The State asked a Pinellas circuit judge for a substantial penalty at the sentencing hearing last week. The maximum sentence possible for the charges was 40 years in prison. The intended victim, Debra, also wanted a long sentence. She testified that she feared reprisal upon her ex-husband’s release.

The judge, however, sentenced Graziano to 10 years in prison. His incarceration will be followed by 10 years probation. He will get credit for time served in jail post-arrest and will be required to serve 85 percent of his term. He is likely to be released in about 6 1/2 years.

Graziano’s criminal defense attorney was very pleased with the sentence, which was at the bottom of the sentencing range.

The State’s evidence indicated that Graziano hired a private investigator to follow Debra, and then told the investigator he wanted her killed. The P.I. contacted the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Graziano was willing to pay $2,100 and a pizza gift card for completion of the task.

The Grazianos’ son, John, suffered permanent brain damage in a 2007 car wreck. John Graziano was a passenger in Nick Bollea’s car when Bollea crashed it into a tree in Clearwater. Bollea is wrester Hulk Hogan’s son.

The Graziano family settled a lawsuit against Hogan. Prosecutors contended that Ed Graziano wanted Debra dead so that he could be John’s sole guardian with access to the settlement funds.