Tim Labesis, the lead singer of Christian heavy metal band As I Lay Dying may have taken his band name a bit too literally when thinking about his wife. As I Lay Dying sold millions of records and their most recent album, Awakened, debuted at No. 1 on the hard rock charts. Their future is now uncertain though, after Lambesis was arrested and charged in court yesterday with soliciting a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife Meggan. Lambesis was arrested at a San Diego bookstore on Tuesday for reportedly trying to hire an undercover cop in the murder plot. His wife had filed for divorce last September after eight years of marriage.

According to Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso, Lambesis asked an acquaintance at his gym if he knew someone who would kill his wife. The friend later introduced him to the undercover cop, who he gave an envelope containing $1,000 in cash, photos of his wife, her address and codes to get through the security gates of her home. He also provided a list of dates that would work well because he would have their three adopted children with him.

The murder plot is even more surprising because he was reportedly the one who ended their relationship. Lambesis ended his marriage via e-mail last August, declaring that he no longer loved Meggan. She later found out that he had been cheating on her with "a string of other women."

His attorney, Anthony Salerno, said the singer was set up and had no intention of harmng his wife, citing his absence of domestic violence incidents or any prior criminal record. "If I had to hang a tag on it, I'd call it a scumbag snitch set-up," he said. "Law enforcement was fed something by someone who effectively orchestrated the whole thing... He did not intend to harm anybody."

Lambesis has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is due in court for a preliminary hearing on July 10. The judge in the case set his bail at $3 million and ordered him to surrender his passport, stay away from his wife and children, and not leave the San Diego area unless it's to meet with his attorney. As I Lay Dying was scheduled to go on tour this summer, but it's safe to say that those plans are out the window now.