Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for plotting murder of Iran regime critic
A Staten Island man was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in federal prison for participating in a plot to kill a journalist and prominent critic of Iran‘s government in a case prosecutors say was directed by operatives tied to Tehran.
TL;DR
- Jonathan Loadholt sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit stalking and money laundering.
- The plot aimed to kill journalist Masih Alinejad, a critic of Iran's government.
- Loadholt conducted surveillance on Alinejad outside her Brooklyn home.
- Prosecutors allege the plot was directed by operatives tied to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
- Loadholt received cash payments and used encrypted communications.
- Co-defendant Carlisle Rivera was sentenced to 15 years for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
- Farhad Shakeri, allegedly hired by the Guard to murder Alinejad for $100,000, remains at large.
- Loadholt was arrested before the killing could be carried out.