New York Man Gets 10 Years In Iran-Backed Plot To Kill Writer
Judge Lewis J. Liman on Wednesday sentenced Jonathan Loadholt, 37, to 10 years in prison in Manhattan federal court for his role in an Iran-backed plot to kill Iranian American writer Masih Alinejad.[1]
Loadholt pleaded guilty to conspiracies to commit stalking and to launder money in the 2024 plot targeting Alinejad at her Brooklyn home.[1] FBI official James Barnacle said investigators found that Loadholt had been tasked by the government of Iran to surveil and ultimately assassinate Alinejad before his arrest.[1] U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Tehran tried to silence Alinejad because of her activism against the regime's treatment of women and human rights abuses.[1] Loadholt's co-conspirator, Carlisle Rivera, was sentenced in January 2026 to 15 years in prison for his role in the same plot.[1]
In 2024, prosecutors say Loadholt and Rivera agreed to carry out surveillance and other tasks aimed at Alinejad at her home, setting in motion the federal investigation that led to their arrests and prosecutions.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, Judge Lewis J. Liman sentenced Jonathan Loadholt, 37, to 10 years in prison in Manhattan federal court.
- Loadholt pleaded guilty to conspiracies to commit stalking and to launder money in a 2024 plot targeting Masih Alinejad at her Brooklyn home.
- FBI official James Barnacle said Loadholt was tasked by the government of Iran to surveil and ultimately assassinate Alinejad before his arrest.
- U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Iran tried to silence Alinejad over her activism against the regime’s treatment of women and human rights abuses.
- Loadholt’s co-conspirator, Carlisle Rivera, was sentenced in January 2026 to 15 years in prison for his role in the same plot.
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