According to charges brought by the Grand Traverse Sheriffs office, former Leelanau County prosecutor concocted a plot to have a rival attorney murdered.

The would-be hit man alerted police and now Traverse City attorney Clarence Gomery is in jail on a $5 million bond and faces life in prison on a solicitation of murder charge.

“There was a plan” and “it was detailed,” Grand Traverse County Undersheriff Nathan Alger says of the scheme allegedly drawn up by Gomery and Dale Fisher, who Alger described as Gomery’s business associate.

Attorney Christopher Cooke was the target of Gomery’s alleged plot.

Officials say the motive appears to be a lawsuit — a sour business deal ended with Gomery sued for fraud in 2012. The plaintiff, represented by Cooke, won the case. Gomery’s law firm filed bankruptcy in April.

Gomery, 59, was arrested at 4am Monday after reneging on an agreement to turn himself in. Police searched for and tracked him down Saturday night at a residence in Leelanau County, where he refused to come out, Alger said. Police arrested him in a traffic stop at 4am Monday after he left the home.

“We want to thank Mr. Fisher for doing the right thing,” Sheriff Tom Bensley says. “Had he not come forward, Mr. Gomery very well may have found someone else and we would be investigating a murder.”

Detectives began working the case Saturday evening after Fisher came forward.

Cooke found the threat credible enough that he relocated his family over the weekend, Alger said.