TN guardsman pleads guilty after applying to work as hitman on fake website

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A National Guardsman from Hermitage has pleaded guilty to federal charges after meeting with an undercover FBI agent to finalize a deal to kill someone in exchange for payment.

Josiah Ernesto Garcia , 23, who now lives in Toldeo, Ohio, pleaded guilty to using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Garcia was charged last year after submitting his resume to a website called “ Rent-A-Hitman ” and indicating that he was interested in working as a hired killer. According to court records, Garcia said he needed money to support his family when he applied for the job in February.

The job, however, never actually existed. The website’s creator, Robert Innes, explained to News 2 it was meant to be a joke, with several obvious signs that the site is fake. It was created in 2005 to advertise a cyber security startup company, but when the company failed to take off, it was converted into a parody site.

The website includes an intake form where people can request services, an option to apply to be a hired killer, and several false testimonials, with one reading, “Caught my husband cheating with the babysitter and our relationship was terminated after a free public relations consultation. I’m single again and looking to mingle. Thanks Guido and RENT-A-HITMAN!”

“It’s entirely a hoax all the way through, from the top to the bottom,” Innes told News 2.

In his initial inquiry about obtaining employment, Garcia noted that he had “military experience, and rifle expertise.” He also followed up on his request by submitting other identification documents and a resume indicating he had been employed in the Air National Guard since July 2021.

In his resume, Garcia reportedly touted the fact that people refer to him as “Reaper” — a nickname he said was earned from his marksmanship. From Feb. 20 to March 13, Garcia continued to follow up on his application, indicating that he wanted to go to work as soon as possible.

Innes said he felt prompted to take action after realizing that Garcia had been trained and “someone could potentially get hurt.” At the direction of the FBI, the creator of the fake website responded to Garcia and put him in touch with an undercover FBI agent who interviewed Garcia about the job over the phone.

The two then arranged to meet at a Hendersonville park, where the agent provided Garcia with a target packet of a fictional person. The packet included photographs and other information about the person to be killed, along with a down payment of $2,500.

After agreeing to the terms of the murder-for-hire arrangement, officials said Garcia asked the agent if he needed to provide a photograph of the dead body. Garcia was then arrested by FBI agents, who in a subsequent search of his home, found an AR-style rifle.

Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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