Another young Air National Guardsman is in hot water, this time for being spectacularly stupid.
Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 21, of Hermitage, Tennessee, needed some extra cash to help support his family, and when he came across what is clearly a parody site, rentalhitman.com, he figured he’d found his dream job. He had, since mid-February, been scouring the internet looking for contracted mercenary jobs, and the website promised a “point and click solution” to his financial woes.
“Did your high school guidance counselor, parents, or neighbors ever tell you that you would never amount to anything? It’s time to prove them all wrong by becoming the individual you always knew you could be – a Field Operative with the world’s best Problem Resolution organizations,” the site stated under the “Careers” tab. “Seize control of your career path and apply now for your chance to work with Rent-A-Hitman: Your Point & Click Solution.”
So he did what any cash-strapped would-be murderer would do: He filled out the form and hit “submit.”
He dutifully provided photos to go along with his inquiry.
“Upload your resume, booking photo, ID, crime scene image or birth certificate here,” Rent-A-Hitman directs applicants. “ANY photo from your computer or phone will suffice.”
His answer to this question remains unclear: “Do you still posess [sic] all of your natural teeth?”
For those who wonder, “90% or more” is “preferred.”
Garcia did, however, answer the “Alias” question. On the street, he is known as “Reaper.” The nickname was earned, Garcia indicated, from his military experience and marksmanship. He also stated that he had been employed in the Air National Guard since July 2021.”
Follow-up is important for any prospective employee, so Garcia contacted the website administrator and stated he’d like to go to work as soon as possible.
According to the probable cause statement, Garcia wrote to the administrator and said, “I’m looking for a job, that pays well, related to my military experience (Shooting and Killing the marked target) so I can support my kid on the way.”
“What can I say, I enjoy doing what I do,” he continued, “so if I can find a job that is similar to it, (such as this one) put me in coach!”
According to a press release from the Middle District of Tennessee’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, rentalhitman.com was “originally created in 2005 to advertise a cyber security startup company.”
“[T]he company failed and over the next decade it received many inquiries about murder-for-hire services,” the press release explains. “The website’s administrator then converted the website to a parody site that contains false testimonials from those who have purported to use hit man services, and an intake form where people can request services.”
And, as Garcia discovered, “The website also has an option for someone to apply to work as a hired killer.”
Reports the D.A.’s office:
An FBI undercover agent then began communicating with Garcia who subsequently agreed to kill an individual for $5,000.Â
On Wednesday, Garcia met the undercover agent at a park in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and was provided with a target packet of a fictional individual, which included photographs and other information about the individual to be killed, and a down payment of $2,500. After agreeing to the terms of the murder arrangement, Garcia asked the agent if he needed to provide a photograph of the dead body.Â
Garcia was then arrested by FBI agents, who in a subsequent search of his home, recovered an AR style rifle.Â
If convicted, Garcia faces up to 10 years in prison.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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