Air National Guardsman arrested after applying online to be a hitman.
Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 21, was charged on Thursday with the use of interstate facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire by using the fake hitman website “Rentahitman.com.”
Garcia explored the site when he “needed money to support his family” and “began searching online for contract mercenary jobs,” according to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office- Middle District of Tennessee.
Garcia first made contact with the site on Feb. 16, when he filed an employment inquiry form indicating he was interested in “obtaining employment as a hitman.”
The website’s owner then converted the site to a parody site with a feedback form where people can request such services alongside an option for someone to apply to work as a hired killer.
Garcia submitted an employment inquiry indicating that he was interested in obtaining work as a hitman.
He then repeatedly followed up on his initial request and submitted other identification documents including a resume indicating that he was an expert marksman and had been employed in the Tennessee Air National Guard since July 2021.
The resume also indicated that Garcia was nicknamed ‘Reaper,’ which he had earned from his military experience and marksmanship.
Garcia continued to follow up with the website administrator, indicating that he wanted to start work as soon as possible.
He noted his “military experience and rifle expertise” in the form while also requesting an in-depth job description, according to court documents filed on April 12.
The hopeful hitman remained in contact with the website over the next several days, providing his Tennessee driver’s license, a headshot, and a resume.
The domain is actually a parody site that offers false testimonials from individuals who have claimed to use hitman services, yet Garcia was so desperate for the extra cash, allegedly willing to perform a hit for a mere $5,000, he appeared to be completely unaware that the site was parody.
Garcia was in need of money to support his family and began searching for contract mercenary jobs online in mid-February and it was during the search he came across the website. Garcia indicated on his profile that while he would be okay to kill in his home state, he would prefer to travel for work.
Originally created in 2005 to advertise a cybersecurity startup, the website failed, and over the next decade, yet received many inquiries about murder-for-hire services. Just over one month later, an undercover FBI agent became involved and started communicating with Garcia. It ended up with him agreeing to kill an individual for $5,000.
On Wednesday, Garcia met the undercover agent at a park in Hendersonville, Tennessee, where he was provided with information for a fictional individual, including photographs for the person he needed to murder, together with a down payment of $2,500.
After agreeing to the terms of the murder arrangement, Garcia even asked the agent if he needed to provide a photograph of the dead body.
‘You are locked in? This is what you want? Because it sounds like you have a lot going on. You’re in the military. You’ve got college. You’ve got a lot going on, as far as good things in your life to kinda’ get in this world,’ the agent asked, according to the affidavit.
