A would-be hitman has been caught after responding to an online ad on the fake website, RentAHitman.com.
Josiah Ernesto Garcia, a 21-year-old Tennessee air national guardsman, submitted an employment application on Thursday 16th February 2023 and sent several follow-up emails over the next month.
In one of his follow-ups, Garcia stated that he was looking for a job that pays well, related to his military experience in shooting and killing marked targets, to support his child on the way.
The website, originally created in 2005 to advertise a cybersecurity company that never took off, has since turned into a parody site with fake testimonials, an intake form to request services, and an application form to become a hired killer. It has received many inquiries over the years about murder-for-hire services, according to the affidavit.
Garcia was contacted by an undercover FBI agent who claimed to be a “field coordinator” for the company, and they spoke about the supposed job, including whether Garcia was willing to torture people and cut off fingers or ears.
Garcia responded positively, stating that he needed money and thought he would be good at killing people because of his military experience and because he was an excellent shot.
When asked why he wanted to get involved, Garcia told the agent that he was looking into civilian law enforcement but wanted to do something more exciting.
On Wednesday 12th April 2023, Garcia met the agent in a park where the agent provided him with a fictional “target package.” The agent also paid Garcia $2,500, supposedly the first of two instalments. Garcia was arrested the same day.
After his arrest, Garcia told agents that he had not intended to go through with the contract killing and that he had just received a job offer at a Nashville medical centre that he intended to take instead.
If convicted, Garcia faces up to 10 years in prison, according to a news release from the US attorney’s office for the middle district of Tennessee.
RentAHitman.com, which was never intended to offer murder-for-hire services, has become a parody site and serves as a warning about the dangers of the dark web and illegal activities.
