A laser eye surgeon who co-owns offices in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest has been accused of plotting to kill his business partner, who is also a surgeon.

The two doctors were in the process of splitting up their business, Clearly Lasik, and the split was not going well, according to court documents filed in Washington State.

Dr. Michael Mockovak, of Newcastle, Wash., was charged Monday with two counts of criminal solicitation to commit murder.

Mockovak had intended for "hit men" -- whom he believed to be with the Russian Mafia -- to kill his business partner, Dr. Joseph King, the documents say.

King is a Washington State resident but was raised in Canada and practices at the company's clinics in Vancouver, Victoria and Edmonton, a company spokesman told ctvbc.ca Tuesday night.

According to the documents filed in King County Superior Court, prosecutors allege that Mockovak provided an informant, who was posing as a conspirator, with a poster-size photograph of King and his family, as well as details of the family's vacation travel and exercise habits.

The two men are former brothers-in-law.

Mockovak made a $10,000 down payment in $100 bills, and agreed to pay another $15,000 after King was murdered, the documents state.

Mockovak "complained bitterly" to the informant about King and expressed concerns about the outcome of their business split, the documents state. Mockovak allegedly told the informant that King "has it coming," and that "this is the only way."

Prosecutors also allege that Mockovak had earlier solicited the murder of a former company president, Brad Klock, beginning in late 2008, but never followed through with the plan. 

Klock was terminated from the company and filed a civil action contesting the termination in January 2009, the documents state.

Robbie Burroughs, an FBI spokeswoman in Seattle, told ctvbc.ca Tuesday night that Mockovak was arrested Thursday at his local gym by the FBI's violent crimes task force.

He was booked into jail and released on $1 million bail.

On Monday, Mockovak was re-arrested after charges were filed, Burroughs said.

His bail amount was increased to $3 million.

He is due to be arraigned on the charges Wednesday, KOMO 4 TV reported.

A statement released by the King family said in part: "It is incomprehensible how someone could deliberately plan to take someone's life and completely devastate a family. We feel very blessed to be alive."

John Raffetto, a media representative for Clearly Lasik, which is headquartered in Renton, Wash., said the company incorporated in 2002.

Of the two partners, only King, who has dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship, performs eye surgeries in Canada, Raffetto said.

According to the company's website, King graduated from the University of British Columbia School of Medicine and completed his post-graduate studies in Victoria.

He has performed 50,000 laser eye surgeries, the website states.

A statement from company CEO Christian Monea Tuesday stated that all the company's offices are open and that King and other physicians will continue to perform procedures.

Attempts to reach Mockovak's lawyer Tuesday night for comment were unsuccessful.