Clearly Lasik co-founder charged in murder-for-hire plot

Dr. Michael Mockovak's business, Clearly Lasik, was in a slump, his longtime partner was breaking up the company and a former employee was suing for hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to court documents.

Prosecutors allege that Mockovak formulated a plan — he turned to someone who he believed had connections in the Russian mafia and sought to have the two men "eliminated" by a hit man, according to charging documents filed in King County Superior Court.

On Monday, the 51-year-old co-founder of the laser eye-surgery centers was charged with two counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder. Mockovak declined to speak during his brief court hearing.

As Mockovak stepped from the downtown Seattle courtroom he was met by FBI agents, who led him away in handcuffs. He is being held on $3 million bail.

His attorney, Colette Tvedt, said after the hearing that Mockovak is "anxious" to have the case heard in court so he can be vindicated.

In charging papers, Mockovak is portrayed as angry, desperate and willing to pay more than $100,000 to have Clearly Lasik co-founder Dr. Joseph King and former company President Brad Klock killed.

Mockovak called King "greedy" for his apparent plans to split the company and thought King was taking advantage of him, charging documents said.

Mockovak noted that King's $5 million life-insurance policy listed either Mockovak or Clearly Lasik as beneficiaries, charging papers allege.

Mockovak solicited an employee who had immigrated from Russia to arrange the slayings, according to the charges. That man reported Mockovak's scheme to the FBI, which began watching Mockovak and recording his conversations, charging papers allege.

Mockovak provided the FBI informant with details of King's upcoming vacation trip to Australia, his likely exercise plan while he was there and a poster-sized photo of him to assist the hired assassin, charging papers said. In one conversation he even suggested that the hired killer drown King while the man was running on the beach, but to make sure his body would be found so insurance money could be collected, charging papers allege.

In one recorded conversation, Mockovak allegedly told the informant that he didn't feel any "personal vengeance" toward the men, but that each of them "has it coming."

The plan was for Mockovak to pay the assassin $25,000 while the informant would earn $100,000 for arranging the slayings, charging papers said. On Nov. 7, Mockovak met the informant in Tukwila, where he paid him $10,000 cash and gave him the photo of King, charging papers said.

On Thursday morning, the FBI and Seattle police arrested Mockovak while he was at a gym, said FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs.

Initially, his bail was $1 million, and he posted bond on Saturday and was released. But after charges were filed Monday the bail was increased to $3 million.

King and his family learned of the alleged murder-for-hire plot on Sunday after returning home from Australia, charging papers said.

They moved into a hotel because they were scared to return to their Newcastle home, which is only a few blocks from Mockovak's house, court papers said.

King told investigators that the two men have been close for years and even know the alarm codes for each others' homes, charging papers said.

"It is incomprehensible how someone could deliberately plan to take someone's life and completely devastate a family," King said in a statement released Monday. "My family and I were shocked and horrified to learn that a business associate was allegedly planning and ordering my murder."

Klock, who is hunting in Canada, knew about Mockovak's arrest but didn't know he was one of the intended victims until Monday morning, said his attorney Stephen Connor.

"He asked if he was safe and I had some similar questions myself," Connor said.

Klock is suing both Mockovak and King for wrongful termination. The case is scheduled for trial in June.

Clearly Lasik has offices in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Western Canada. The company reported earnings of $17 million in 2007, but that figure dipped to $10 million in 2008, charging papers said.

By Monday morning, Mockovak's photo and other details about him had been taken off Clearly Lasik's Web site.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com