Federal judge sentences man to 10 years in plot to kill Iranian American writer

Jonathan Loadholt, a former truck and bus driver, received a 10-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracies to commit stalking and launder money in a plot targeting Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn in 2024. Authorities said the Iranian government tasked him to surveil Alinejad and eventually assassinate her, and the FBI arrested him before the attack. The U.S. attorney said the motivation was greed and that Iran sought to silence Alinejad for her efforts against the Iranian regime and for exposing discrimination, corruption, and human rights abuses. Defense lawyers sought leniency, saying he was not asked to commit murder and was kept largely unaware of the full plan, though he understood the potential for serious violence. Loadholt expressed shame and said, “It was wrong on every level.”

"A former truck and bus driver charged in an assassination plot against an Iranian American writer who authorities said was targeted for death by the Iranian government was given a 10-year prison sentence on Wednesday by a federal judge."

"James Barnacle, head of New York's FBI office, said in a release that Loadholt was tasked by the government of Iran to surveil Alinejad and eventually assassinate her, but the FBI arrested him first. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Loadholt was a U.S. citizen driven by greed to kill Alinejad."

"Clayton said the government of Iran "tried to silence Ms. Alinejad because of her efforts to stand up to the Iranian regime and expose its discriminatory treatment of women, corruption, and human rights abuses." In court papers, lawyers for Loadholt requested leniency, saying "a reckless and senseless decision made at the behest of a friend cost him his job, his freedom, and years with his family he will never get back.""

"They also wrote that Loadholt was never asked to commit murder and was largely kept in the dark about the true plan for the surveillance he was asked to carry out, although they acknowledged that he "clearly understood the potential for serious violence." In a letter to the judge, Loadholt said he was "very ashamed." "It was wrong on every level," he said."

Read at AP News