A member of the Tennessee Air National Guard was arrested on federal charges after posting a fake hitman job application online.
Due to his alleged involvement with the fake hitman website Rentahitman.com, 21-year-old Josiah Ernesto Garcia was charged with using interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire on Thursday.
Tennessee Suspect Charged With Mercenary Contract Work
U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis stated in a press release that he was apprehended after meeting with an undercover FBI agent to make a deal to murder someone for money.
In February, when Garcia was looking online for contract mercenary work to help support his family, he reportedly stumbled upon the website. Then, he submitted an employment inquiry form indicating his interest in becoming a hitman.
He applied as an expert marksman and worked for the Air National Guard since July 2021, and he provided additional identification documents, a headshot, and a resume to back up his claims.
Garcia’s Possible Prison Sentence If Convicted
Garcia’s resume indicated that he earned the nickname Reaper through his military experience and marksmanship and that he was an expert marksman awarded for not missing a single bullseye on all targets and for shooting expertly with two or more weapons.
Garcia continued to communicate with the website administrator that he was prepared to start work immediately.
Bob Innes, the owner of the website, responded to Garcia in response to an FBI request.
Garcia met the undercover agent in a park in Hendersonville, Tennessee on Wednesday, and was given a packet with information about a made-up person.
The package contained photographs, additional information about the target, as well as a $2,500 down payment.
FBI agents subsequently arrested Garcia. Later, agents searched his residence and found an AR-style rifle. If convicted, Garcia could face up to ten years in prison.
In 2005, four friends established Rentahitman.com in an attempt to launch a cybersecurity startup company.
The company ultimately failed, but it received numerous requests for murder-for-hire services over the following decade.
The administrator of the website then transformed it into a parody website containing fabricated testimonials from individuals claiming to have used hitman services. The website includes a form for requesting services as well as an application for hitman employment.
Read more: President Biden Renews Call For Gun Safety Reforms In Wake Of Alabama And Louisville Shootings
