A former businessman has been charged in connection with the execution-style killings of an attorney in Rolling Hills Estates and a former employee in Whittier over a decade ago, according to Los Angeles County authorities.

Richard Wall Sr., 73, faces two counts each of murder and conspiracy to commit murder, with special circumstance allegations that include multiple murders, lying in wait, and murder for financial gain. He was extradited from Montenegro, where he had been living during the investigation, and booked into the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles County last Friday.

The charges relate to the deaths of attorney Jeffrey Tidus and former employee Juan Mendez. Tidus, 53, won a $1.7 million settlement in 2007 against a close associate of Wall’s. Prosecutors allege that Wall hired a co-conspirator to kill Tidus outside his Rolling Hills Estates home in 2009.

Mendez, 35, had worked for Wall and filed a lawsuit claiming unpaid overtime, resulting in an award of $300,000 in January 2011. Wall is accused of orchestrating Mendez’s murder in February 2011 outside his Whittier apartment; authorities say Mendez was shot in front of his children. The lawsuit was dismissed in March 2011 before final resolution.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the killings as “vicious and callous,” asserting that Wall sought to eliminate individuals who had opposed him legally rather than pursuing appeals. Wall appeared in court last Monday and is scheduled for arraignment on July 1.

In addition to these charges, Wall is a suspect in an earlier homicide in Las Vegas but has not been formally charged. On May 20, 2008, the body of David James “DJ” Vargas was discovered near the Las Vegas Strip. Vargas, 53, was self-employed and allegedly owed Wall at least $100,000 related to a failed escort and limousine business venture. Authorities noted similarities between Vargas’s death and the subsequent killings of Tidus and Mendez.

The investigation into the Las Vegas case is ongoing. If convicted on the current charges, Wall faces the possibility of life imprisonment.