On Thursday the Department of Justice arrested two U.S. citizens, Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn and Jonathon Loadholt of Staten Island, for their role in a murder-for-hire conspiracy/plot orchestrated by the Iran’s IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps). The facts, as detailed in the criminal complaint are eye-opening and demonstrate to all the global intent of Iran to assassinate, murder and ultimately silence those who they view have wronged the regime. In addition, an Iranian third party ,Farhad Shakeri, an asset of the IRGC was included in the criminal complaint and has fled and is believed to be in Iran.
Iran Targeting President-elect Trump
The FBI interviews of Shakeri (explained in detail below) revealed the existence of additional targeting by the IRGC, to include then candidate, now President-elect, Donald Trump and two Jewish American citizens residing in New York City. The IRGC offered $500,000 for the murder of the two Jewish Americans and a “huge amount of money” to fund the surveillance and assassination of Trump. In early October the IRGC demanded Shakeri provide his plan to assassinate Trump after the U.S. presidential elections. The IRGC’s logic was their analysis had Trump losing the election and thus access would be easier. Shakeri told the FBI he was not submitting a plan.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, issued the following statement: “There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran. The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump. We have also charged and arrested two individuals who we allege were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime. We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security.”
The IRGC Tasking of Shakeri for murder in the U.S.
The IRGC operation began in December 2023, with tasking provided to Shakeri. The IRGC funded both Rivera and Loadholt in the U.S. portion of their plot.
Shakeri, who was deported from the U.S. in 2008 following 14 years in prison for a 1994 robbery conviction, had immigrated to the United States as a child. Both Loadholt and Rivera were known to Shakeri and were part of a network of known criminal associates whom Shakeri met in the New York State prison system. In addition, the criminal complaint identifies the existence of two additional co-conspirators who are uncharged and not named as defendants. It appears these individuals were cooperating with DoJ.
The multi-count criminal complaint shows the IRGC had offered to pay Shakeri approximately $1.5 million to kill the “Victim-1” a journalist who had been critical of Iran. Shakeri contacted his associates and offered them $100,000 to conduct the murder. The duo accepted the tasking and engaged in months of surveillance of their target in Brooklyn, where he resided. In addition to physical surveillance, they engaged in online monitoring of the target’s social media accounts.
They would upload their photographs, screenshots, and reports to cloud-based accounts for access by Shakeri. The pair’s expenses, to include purchase of fire arms, rental cars, gas, tolls, etc. were reimbursed by Shakeri via Western Union wire transfer.
In July/August 2024 Shakeri urged them to “take care of it already” and received push back as the $100,000 was promised, though not yet transferred, and a previously requested 10% up front had not materialized. They waited, while sharing images of their firearms, ammunition, and extended magazines.
FBI reaches out to Shakeri
In an interesting twist, the FBI conducted multiple telephone interviews with Shakeri (who was in Tehran) and who stated his reason for “participating in the interviews was to attempt to obtain a sentence reduction for another individual who is serving a U.S. prison sentence.” The FBI concluded that he was both truthful and had also provided false information during the interviews, as he did not identify either Carlisle Rivera or Jonathon Loadholt. He did however describe IRGC murder and assassination plans.
It was during these interviews he revealed that the IRGC offered him $1.5 million to kill the target, “nighttime, daytime, anywhere.” He admitted to conducting online research of the target and locating his residence. He also admitted to paying others to surveil the targeted individual. In early-October 2024, the IRGC reiterated their desire to have the journalist killed, and that in order to be paid, video evidence would have to be provided to the IRGC. In late-October 2024, Shakeri told the FBI someone had been located to carry out the assassination.
Iran’s Bold Operations
The IRGC continues to show itself as willing and able to conduct murder and assassination. The tool they use to silence opposition and critics of the regime, or to exact vengeance. Readers will remember in July 2024, the DoJ uncovered a separate plot to murder a U.S. official and a U.S. politician. The indicted individual, Asif Merchant’s plot was foiled and he is currently in U.S. custody.
