EXCLUSIVE: Martinez man facing murder for hire charges speaks from jail

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KGO) -- A Martinez man facing murder for hire charges is speaking out on Friday.

Charles Waldo was arrested on white collar crimes four years ago. While in jail, prosecutors say he was conspiring with other inmates to put hits out on witnesses against him.

ABC7 News reporter Laura Anthony spoke exclusively to Waldo.

"I'm not completely innocent, but I'm not guilty of everything I'm charged with," Waldo said.

On the eve of his long-awaited trial, Waldo said he's no angel but claims he never tried to have nine people, witnesses in his white collar case, murdered. When asked if he is capable of violence, he replied, "No, not at all."

The 39-year-old was originally arrested in 2013 on 50 counts, including insurance fraud and embezzlement, related to his work as a manager at a Martinez recycling company.

In late 2014, the grand jury indicted Waldo on 10 additional felonies for allegedly soliciting two fellow inmates-turned-informants to murder nine people.

"There were two witnesses that allege Charles Waldo approached them, one of them, solicited them and conspired with them to murder some of the witnesses of the original crimes," Contra Costa County DA's Office prosecutor Bill Murphy said.

Murphy was assigned to Waldo's case at the time. The DA's Office would not comment for the story. But according to prosecutors, there was a hit list and proposed methods include "staged car accidents, drug overdoses and robberies that had 'gone bad.'"

"It's completely false," Waldo said. When asked if there was a hitlist, he responded, "The hit list that they made in their own handwriting."

Waldo said it would make no sense for him to try to hire inmates here at the jail to kill witnesses in his white collar case because, up to that point, he was facing a relatively light sentence.

"I wasn't looking at a lot of time before the alleged murders conspiracy came. I had no intentions of trying to murder any witnesses. I'm looking at life. I'm looking at never going home," he said.

Waldo's trial starts Tuesday with jury selection. He will act as his own attorney.