Newcastle eye surgeon pleads not guilty in alleged murder plot
Nov 19 2009
By LINDSAY LARIN
Bellevue Reporter
King County prosecutors have filed charges against a Newcastle laser eye surgeon accused of plotting to kill his business partner.
Michael Emeric Mockovak, a physician and surgeon, and co-founder of Clearly Lasik, pleaded not guilty at an arraigment Wednesday in King County Superior Court.
Mockovak, 51, was charged Monday with two counts of criminal solicitation to commit murder in the first degree for allegedly plotting to kill his business partner and former colleague, Dr. Joseph King.
The FBI and Seattle Police arrested Mockovak on the morning of Nov. 12, while he was at a gym. He was released Saturday on $1 million bail, but was later rearrested Monday afternoon.
Prosecutors had asked bail to be set at $3 million. However, on Wednesday bail was set at $2 million.
According to a King County Superior Court filing, Mockovak supplied a photo of King and his family to a witness posing as a conspirator, and he agreed to pay a total of $25,000 for murdering his business partner.
Mockovak provided the witness with details about King’s vacation travel and exercise habits. He also discussed how he wanted the murder to take place, and he gave details about the life-insurance policy on King.
Mockovak told the cooperating witness that he wanted King’s body found in order to minimize any difficulty in collecting on the life-insurance policy, according to charging papers.
Investigators believe they found that life insurance policy on Mockovak’s kitchen table.
Mockovak is also accused of soliciting the murder of Brad Klock, former president of Clearly Lasik since late 2008.
Klock was terminated from his position at Clearly Lasik in January 2009 and had filed a civil action contesting the termination. Court documents state that Klock’s ongoing dispute played a major role in Mockovak wanting him “eliminated.”
According to Klock’s lawyer, Klock believes that the doctors owe him hundreds of thousands of dollars for work he did during less than two years that he worked at the company.
Investigators recorded conversations between Mockovak and the cooperating witness about the murder-for-hire scheme.
Beyond the $3 million bail request, prosecutors asked the court that Mockovak be required to turn his passport over to investigators and remain in King County.
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