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Villegas Ruled Competant In Attorney Murder Case

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) - The man charged with murdering Plantation attorney Melissa Britt Lewis then dumping her body in a canal has been ruled competent to stand trial.

Tony Villegas was originally ruled incompetent to stand trial and has spent 10 months locked in a mental health facility.

According to the Sun Sentinel, Villegas defense team did not fight the recent findings of two forensic psychologists that he is mentally fit to continue with court proceedings in the March 2008 slaying of Melissa Britt Lewis.

Villegas faces the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder.

Melissa Britt Lewis was a law partner of convicted Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein and she had been best friend's with Villegas' ex-wife, Debra Villegas, Rothstein's chief operating officer.

Debra Villegas is scheduled to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence in June after pleading guilty to helping Rothstein with his $1.4 billion Ponzi scheme.

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