Photograph Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Each day Beast / Getty
A Tennessee Nationwide Air Guardsman is going through fees for allegedly submitting his resume to what he thought was an internet 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 accordance 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 navy expertise (Taking pictures and Killing the marked goal) so I can assist my child on the best way,” Garcia allegedly wrote in a single e mail, in response to a felony grievance filed in Tennessee federal court docket. “What can I say, I get pleasure from doing what I do, so if I can discover a job that's much like it, (comparable 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 shoppers. 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.
It was not instantly clear whether or not Garcia has a lawyer. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Navy 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 assist “civil regulation enforcement as they proceed their investigation.”
Garcia is only one of a slew ofpeople who've fallen prey to the faux 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 obtained “many inquiries about murder-for-hire providers” and finally transformed itself “to a parody website that accommodates false testimonials from those that have purported to make use of hitman providers, and an consumption type the place folks can request providers.”
“Caught my husband dishonest with the babysitter and our relationship was terminated after a free public relations session. I’m single once more and trying 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 type to “apply to work as a employed killer,” which Garcia allegedly submitted on Feb. 16. In his utility, Garcia allegedly indicated that he had “navy 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 deal with 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 beneath the guise of the corporate’s CEO Guido Fanello, and requested for his resume, headshot, and identification, the grievance states.
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 capturing professional with 2 (or extra) weapons.” He additionally allegedly revealed that his nickname was “Reaper” due to his “Navy expertise and Marksmanship.”
“Garcia was stating his skillset matched the wants of an organization that hires staff 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 extra follow-up emails, the web site proprietor responded on March 16 on the path of the FBI.
“Josiah, a Area Coordinator might 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 Hire 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 navy sniper and hoped him being within the navy wouldn't disqualify him for the job.”
Garcia additionally indicated that he most well-liked to “shoot folks 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 attainable 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 navy, 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 secret agent 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 apprehensive the agent was regulation enforcement—however was “now comfy” after assembly in individual and was assured in his navy coaching, in response to 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 per thirty days within the Air Nationwide Guard.
“You're locked in? That is what you need? As a result of it feels like you will have quite a bit happening. You’re within the navy. You’ve received faculty,” the secret agent requested Garcia, in response to the grievance. “You’ve received quite a bit happening, 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 in the event you come to work for us, as a result of it, I imply it messes along with your thoughts, capturing folks.”
In response, Garcia acknowledged 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 folks.”
When requested if he can be comfortable with killing 50 targets, Garcia allegedly responded: “That’s rookie numbers for the Reaper.”
On April 9, the grievance states, the secret agent 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 offered with a “goal packet” that consisted of photographs and an outline of a faux abusive husband of a shopper. The job, the agent mentioned, would pay $5,000 if the goal was killed throughout the subsequent 10 days.
Garcia was arrested after taking the cash. In an interview with federal authorities, Garcia acknowledged 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.”
He instructed 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 start out coaching for the job.” After getting the gig, he mentioned he was having second ideas “concerning the hitman job and adjusted his thoughts.”
“Garcia acknowledged that he was assembly the [undercover agent] to inform him he had modified his thoughts and didn't wish to do this sort of work,” the grievance states. “Garcia acknowledged that he was going to name the [undercover agent] when he received to his automotive and depart the cash on the curb for the [undercover agent] to choose up.”