Two men from New York have been charged by federal prosecutors in relation to a supposed assassination plot, allegedly backed by Iran, targeting former President Donald Trump and an Iranian dissident journalist. The intricate plot reportedly spanned from Brooklyn, New York, to Tehran, Iran.
The accused, Carlisle “Pop” Rivera, 49, from Brooklyn, and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, from Staten Island, were presented in a federal court in Manhattan on November 8, 2024, facing charges relating to a murder-for-hire scheme and a money laundering conspiracy.
The investigation focuses on an alleged plot put together by Farhad Shakeri, who, according to prosecutors, is an agent of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Shakeri is currently believed to be in Tehran and is accused of recruiting Rivera and Loadholt to perform surveillance and planned assassinations.
Court documents reveal that Rivera, a welder and father of two, became entangled in the plot through his association with Shakeri, whom he met while both were serving time at the Fishkill Correctional Facility in Beacon, New York. Rivera had previously served time for a second-degree murder conviction in 1994.
The investigation uncovered that Rivera was initially hired to target Masih Alinejad, a journalist based in Brooklyn known for her criticism of the Iranian government. Prosecutors claim that Rivera and Loadholt carried out extensive surveillance of Alinejad, including a visit to Fairfield University in Connecticut where she was due to give a speech.
Messages between the defendants, obtained by FBI investigators, detailed their surveillance efforts. In one voice note, Rivera reportedly told his accomplice, “You just gotta have patience to catch her either going in the house or coming out, or following her out somewhere and taking care of it. Don’t think about going in. In is a suicide move.” They were allegedly promised $100,000 for the murder of Alinejad.
In another voice memo, Rivera commented, “This b***h is hard to catch, bro. And because she hard to catch, there ain’t gonna be no simple pull up, unless there’s the luck of the draw.”
The plot’s focus shifted towards former President Trump in late September, when, according to the Department of Justice, Shakeri was directed by his Iranian handlers to devise a seven-day plan to surveil and assassinate Trump. The IRGC requested Shakeri to carry out this task.
“There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the US as does Iran,” stated Attorney General Merrick Garland, highlighting the severity of the situation.
FBI Director Christopher Wray added his thoughts, stating, “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on US soil, and that simply won’t be tolerated.”
The criminal complaint from the Justice Department reveals that the alleged conspiracy extended beyond Trump and Alinejad, also targeting two Jewish American businesspeople in New York City who had voiced support for Israel on social media. Shakeri is also suspected of discussing plans to attack Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka.
Rivera and Loadholt are currently in custody awaiting trial. If found guilty, they could face up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy charges, along with further penalties for the murder-for-hire charges.