A man who admitted to participating in a plot to kill an Iranian-American journalist and prominent critic of Tehran was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday. Jonathan Loadholt, 37, was arrested in November 2024 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit stalking and money laundering in the plot targeting Masih Alinejad, 49.
Details of the Plot
Loadholt and another man, Carlisle Rivera, were charged with accepting $100,000 to kill Alinejad, who resides in the United States. Rivera was sentenced to 15 years in prison in January after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. The US Justice Department stated that the plan to kill Alinejad was ordered by Iran's government.
“Tehran attempted to murder a US journalist in the United States simply because she exposed a few of that regime’s many abuses,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg.
Ongoing Investigation
Another suspect, Farhad Shakeri, an Afghan living in Iran, remains at large. He is accused of recruiting Loadholt and Rivera on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the ideological branch of Iran's military.
Background on Masih Alinejad
Alinejad is one of the most prominent dissident campaigners against Iranian authorities. For years, she has pushed for the abolition of the obligatory headscarf in Iran under the banner of “MyStealthyFreedom.” She left Iran in 2009. Alinejad was also the target of another assassination attempt that was thwarted in the summer of 2022. She has nearly nine million followers on Instagram.
The sentencing marks a significant step in holding accountable those involved in plots against journalists and dissidents.
