A Santa Clarita man charged with soliciting his wife’s murder was ordered to stand trial Wednesday by Judge Hayden Zacky.

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Dino Roy Guglielmelli, 52, of Canyon Country, displayed little emotion in a blue jailhouse jumpsuit, unshaven with his black hair combed back, at times shaking his head while the prosecution presented its case.

He’s accused of paying Richard Fuhrmann, an Army vet and unemployed developer who claimed to be a friend of Guglielmelli’s, to kill his wife, Monica Andreny.

Guglielmelli and Andreny were in the middle of a contentious split when the alleged crimes took place.

Fuhrmann and Guglielmelli first became friends when Fuhrmann sought Guglielmelli’s help in starting a manufacturing supplements business during the summer of 2011.

Guglielmelli founded Creation’s Garden in 1993, which he built into a multimillion-dollar, international business.

The charges stem from a discussion between Fuhrmann and Guglielmelli of an $80,000 deal, allegedly the amount Fuhrmann would have been paid to help “get rid of” Andreny, over an Oct. 1 lunch of mint chicken and noodles.

Unbeknownst to Guglielmelli, Fuhrmann had already contacted Andreny’s divorce attorney, who put him in touch with a detective from the Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau, and the discussion was recorded.

Guglielmelli’s defense attorney, Tony Brooklier, sought to paint Fuhrmann as an opportunist and a liar during cross-examination, who allegedly invented defense industry contacts to impress Guglielmelli.

Deputy District Attorney Emily Cole played a 14-minute excerpt from a 90-minute tape of the Oct. 1 meeting.

Cole’s questioning of Fuhrmann, who claimed he had lost “everything” since Guglielmelli’s arrest, explained their relationship as two business acquaintances whose friendship grew as Guglielmelli’s marriage continued to unravel.

Guglielmelli’s alleged resolve to kill his wife grew more impassioned after a domestic violence charge Guglielmelli filed against Andreny was dismissed, Fuhrmann said.

“He wanted specifically to know if I knew anyway to have her killed,” Fuhrmann said, during direct examination.

Upon cross-examination, Brooklier questioned Fuhrmann’s credibility, mentioning a letter Fuhrman sent to a divorce attorney for Andreny back in March 2012 expressing concern for the life of Guglielmelli’s wife, which Fuhrmann admitted sending.

Brooklier then brought up the fact that in a sworn deposition in August 2013, Fuhrmann characterized threats Guglielmelli made as “nothing more than an angry husband.”

Upon re-direct, Fuhrmann acknowledged the statement, but said he was referring to the week of the deposition.

He said that was his sworn statement at that time because he didn’t feel Andreny’s life was in danger that week, because Guglielmelli was “winning.”

After the domestic violence case, Guglielmelli became increasingly irate when the subject of his wife came up.

During the taped conversation, Guglielmelli can be heard asking, “There’s no way for them to track it back to me?” referring to the pair’s alleged deal.

“I’ll be happy when it’s all over,” Guglielmelli said, on the tape.

After Fuhrmann expressed concern over his pay in the matter, Guglielmelli offered reassurance.

“You’re going to get paid,” Guglielmelli said. “Don’t worry about that — I’ve got you covered.”

Guglielmelli was granted a bail review Dec. 10 in front of Judge Michael O’Gara, and ordered back Dec. 18 for a formal arraignment, when he will enter a plea on the charges.

Brooklier did not return calls seeking comment on this case.

If convicted, Guglielmelli faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

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