DOJ sentences NYC accomplice in Iranian dissident murder-for-hire scheme to 10 years in prison

Jonathan Loadholt, 37, received a 10-year federal prison sentence for his involvement in a murder-for-hire scheme directed by the Iranian government against Iranian-born journalist and activist Masih Alinejad. The US Justice Department announced the sentencing on Wednesday.

Alinejad, who became a US citizen in 2019, fled Iran following the contentious 2009 presidential election and subsequent protests. She has since become a prominent human rights advocate and a vocal critic of Iran's current regime, making her a primary target for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to the Justice Department. This plot was the latest in a series of attempts, including prior plans in 2020 and 2021 to kidnap Alinejad back to Iran, and a 2022 IRGC effort to hire members of the Russian Mafia for her murder.

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Jonathan Loadholt served as a hired gun to stalk, surveil, and ultimately assassinate Masih Alinejad, a United States citizen, on behalf of the IRGC.

When those plans failed, the IRGC reportedly turned to Farhad Shakeri in Tehran, who then hired New York City resident Carlisle Rivera in 2024. Shakeri allegedly offered Rivera $100,000 to carry out the assassination. Rivera subsequently recruited Loadholt to assist him. For several months, Rivera and Loadholt surveilled Alinejad and prepared their plans, but Loadholt was arrested in November 2024 before they could execute the scheme. Rivera was also arrested.

In January 2026, Rivera was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. stated, “Jonathan Loadholt served as a hired gun to stalk, surveil, and ultimately assassinate Masih Alinejad, a United States citizen, on behalf of the IRGC. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force disrupted and arrested him before he could carry out his plan. The FBI will squash all attempts to silence critics of oppressive regimes on American soil.”

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The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force disrupted and arrested him before he could carry out his plan. The FBI will squash all attempts to silence critics of oppressive regimes on American soil.