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A Tennessee Air National Guard member was indicted after he applied to be a hitman on a spoof “rent a hitman” website, according to the Justice Department.
Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 21, was charged Thursday after submitting a job inquiry to the website rentahitman.com, a parody site that included “testimonials” from purportedly satisfied Hitman customers.
The website was originally created in 2005 to “advertise cybersecurity startup companies,” the Justice Department said in a news release. “The company failed and over the next 10 years we received many inquiries about our murder-for-hire services.”
According to a criminal complaint filed Thursday, Garcia said in February that he had “military experience and rifle expertise” and requested an “in-depth job description.”
“Garcia followed up on this initial request and submitted other identification and resume, indicating that he was an expert marksman and had been in the Air National Guard since July 2021. The resume states that Garcia has earned the nickname “Ripper.” The Justice Department cited his military experience and marksmanship in a press release.
Garcia sent another follow-up email a few days later. He said he never heard back after submitting his resume, according to the complaint.
According to investigators, Garcia wrote in an email, “Why I want this job* I am looking for a good paying job that involves military experience (shooting and killing marked targets) so I can support my child. What can I say, I enjoy what I do, and if I can find a job similar to that (for example), please appoint me as a coach!”
After Garcia sent more follow-up emails, and at the direction of the FBI, the website owner responded with the following email: “Our site coordinator, Josiah, will contact you in the near future. He will receive a message when he is ready. According to the complaint, timing is determined by customer needs.
When an FBI undercover agent asked Garcia for a phone interview on April 5, Garcia asked, “When can I start?” and “What is the payment amount?” According to the complaint.
The undercover agent asked Garcia if he would be comfortable taking a finger or ear as a trophy or torturing a client at his request.
“If that is possible and I can do it, I am more than capable,” Garcia said, according to the complaint.
Garcia alleged that during a meeting with an undercover agent last Wednesday, he received a 'targeting package' containing a photo and description of the hypothetical target's name, weight, age, height, address, and job information.” she said
Garcia was told the subject was the client's husband, who had been abusing her, and that the client had paid him $5,000 for the work, along with a $2,500 down payment, the complaint states.
“After Garcia agreed to the terms of the murder agreement, he asked agents if he would have to provide photographs of the corpse,” the Justice Department said. “Garcia was arrested by FBI agents, who recovered an AR-style rifle during a search of his home.”
Garcia was charged with criminal use of an interstate commerce facility for murder-for-hire. The Justice Department said he could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
CNN was unable to reach Garcia's attorney for comment. Garcia is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.
CNN has reached out to the Air National Guard for comment.