Tennessee

Tennessee National Guardsman Caught Trying to Moonlight as Hit Man, Feds Say

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A Tennessee Nationwide Air Guardsman is going through prices for allegedly submitting his resume to what he thought was a web site hiring contract killers—however, in actuality, was a parody website that tipped off federal authorities.

Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 21, was charged on Thursday with utilizing interstate commerce services within the fee of a murder-for-hire after allegedly submitting an employment inquiry to RentAHitman.com in February. In line with prosecutors, Garcia mentioned he labored for the Air Nationwide Guard whereas submitting a question expressing curiosity in “acquiring employment as a hitman.”

“Im searching for a job, that pays nicely, associated to my army expertise (Taking pictures and Killing the marked goal) so I can help my child on the way in which,” Garcia allegedly wrote in a single e-mail, in line with a felony grievance filed in Tennessee federal courtroom. “What can I say, I get pleasure from doing what I do, so if I can discover a job that’s much like it, (similar to this one) put me in coach!”

The appliance spurred a months-long sting, throughout which Garcia admitted in a single telephone interview that he was comfy taking fingers and ears as trophies for his purchasers. He was requested to do a $5,000 job in April, and was in the end arrested on April 12 after inquiring as as to if he “wanted to take a photograph [of the dead body] as proof that the job was full,” the feds mentioned.

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It was not instantly clear whether or not Garcia has a lawyer. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Army Division confirmed that Garcia enlisted within the Air Nationwide Guard in July 2021—and that the company is conscious of this latest arrest and can help “civil regulation enforcement as they proceed their investigation.”

Garcia is only one of a slew of people who’ve fallen prey to the pretend murderer web site that was initially created in 2005 to “promote a cyber safety startup firm,” prosecutors say. Though the corporate by no means took off, the grievance states, the web site acquired “many inquiries about murder-for-hire companies” and ultimately transformed itself “to a parody website that accommodates false testimonials from those that have purported to make use of hitman companies, and an consumption kind the place individuals can request companies.”

“Caught my husband dishonest with the babysitter and our relationship was terminated after a free public relations session. I’m single once more and seeking to mingle,” one of many false testimonials on the web site states. “Thanks Guido and RENT-A-HITMAN!”

The grievance notes that the web site additionally has an inquiry kind to “apply to work as a employed killer,” which Garcia allegedly submitted on Feb. 16. In his software, Garcia allegedly indicated that he had “army expertise and rifle experience” and required an “in-depth job description.”

The following day, Garcia allegedly reached out once more—this time together with his Tennessee dwelling tackle and indicated that he was “searching for employment” however was having bother with the web site. On Feb. 18, the web site proprietor responded to Garcia underneath the guise of the corporate’s CEO Guido Fanello, and requested for his resume, headshot, and identification, the grievance states.

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Garcia responded the next day and famous that he was “employed with the Air Nationwide Guard from July 2021 till current.” In his resume, the grievance states, Garcia additionally indicated that he was a “Marksman Professional, awarded for not lacking a single bullseye on the entire targets and for taking pictures professional with 2 (or extra) weapons.” He additionally allegedly revealed that his nickname was “Reaper” due to his “Army expertise and Marksmanship.”

“Garcia was stating his skillset matched the wants of an organization that hires workers to commit homicide,” the grievance states, noting that he even despatched a follow-up e-mail on Feb. 20 when he didn’t instantly hear again and included an outline of why he wished the job.

Ultimately, after Garcia allegedly despatched two further follow-up emails, the web site proprietor responded on March 16 on the route of the FBI.

“Josiah, a Subject Coordinator can be in contact within the close to future. You’ll obtain a message when they’re prepared. Timing relies on shopper wants,” the web site proprietor wrote.

The grievance states that days later, an undercover FBI worker started texting Garcia, posing as a “recruiter for Lease A Hitman” and scheduled a telephone interview on April 5. Through the name, Garcia once more reiterated that he was within the Air Nationwide Guard and that he was “a educated army sniper and hoped him being within the army wouldn’t disqualify him for the job.”

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Garcia additionally indicated that he most well-liked to “shoot individuals from [a] distance,” and requested whether or not “fifteen to twenty thousand can be an excessive amount of to ask” for every mark. The grievance notes that the undercover FBI agent additionally requested Garcia if he “was comfy with taking fingers or ears as trophies or performing torture at a shopper’s request.”

“If it’s doable and in my means to take action, I’m greater than succesful,” Garcia responded, earlier than including that he would take a job for as little as $2,500 and that he owned an AR-15. “Being within the army, doing that form of work already. I used to be trying into civilian regulation enforcement however that’s not for me. I wished one thing extra thrilling. I began looking the net after which I discovered this, so right here I’m.”

The following day, the grievance states that Garcia met the spy at a Nashville restaurant, the place he revealed that he had been trying into changing into a employed killer for “a while now” to “make good cash.” Through the dialog, Garcia even admitted that he was initially nervous the agent was regulation enforcement—however was “now comfy” after assembly in individual and was assured in his army coaching, in line with the paperwork.

The grievance states that Garcia additionally indicated that he was searching for a job with flexibility as a result of he was beginning faculty the following yr and solely works one weekend monthly within the Air Nationwide Guard.

“You might be locked in? That is what you need? As a result of it seems like you will have quite a bit occurring. You’re within the army. You’ve received faculty,” the spy requested Garcia, in line with the grievance. “You’ve received quite a bit occurring, so far as good issues in your life to kinda’ get on this world. It’s a shady world, and I simply don’t need you to have regrets should you come to work for us, as a result of it, I imply it messes together with your thoughts, taking pictures individuals.”

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In response, Garcia said that he had “weighed the psychological results of killing somebody and he was okay with it,” including that he would like to work in one other state however he was additionally “alright to kill some native individuals.”

When requested if he can be happy with killing 50 targets, Garcia allegedly responded: “That’s rookie numbers for the Reaper.”

On April 9, the grievance states, the spy texted Garcia asking if he was out there for an “straightforward mark” in three days. The pair met on Wednesday, at which level Garcia was introduced with a “goal packet” that consisted of images and an outline of a pretend abusive husband of a shopper. The job, the agent mentioned, would pay $5,000 if the goal was killed inside the subsequent 10 days.

Garcia was arrested after taking the cash. In an interview with federal authorities, Garcia said he was searching for work as a result of he wanted “cash and his household couldn’t afford hire.”

“A co-worker on the Air Nationwide Guard urged to GARCIA that he search for ‘contract mercenary jobs,’” the grievance states. “Garcia searched that time period on-line and got here throughout the rentahitman.com web site.”

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He informed prosecutors that simply days earlier than accepting the hit job, “he had he had been employed by Vanderbilt [M]edical and he was scheduled to begin coaching for the job.” After getting the gig, he mentioned he was having second ideas “in regards to the hitman job and altered his thoughts.”

“Garcia said that he was assembly the [undercover agent] to inform him he had modified his thoughts and didn’t wish to do this type of work,” the grievance states. “Garcia said that he was going to name the [undercover agent] when he received to his automotive and go away the cash on the curb for the [undercover agent] to choose up.”



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