Man sentenced in alleged Iran-backed plot to assassinate Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad

A former truck and bus driver from New York has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in an alleged Iran-backed plot to assassinate Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad in Brooklyn. Jonathan Loadholt, 37, was sentenced by a federal judge in Manhattan after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges linked to stalking and money laundering in the plot targeting the outspoken critic of Tehran.

Iran ordered a hit on Masih Alinejad

US authorities claim that the operation was orchestrated on behalf of Iran’s government and involved plans to surveil and eventually kill Alinejad, who has become one of the most prominent voices campaigning against Iran’s compulsory hijab laws and broader restrictions on women.

According to prosecutors, Loadholt and another man, Carlisle Rivera, were allegedly promised $100,000 for carrying out the assassination.

Rivera had already been sentenced earlier this year to 15 years in prison after admitting involvement in the murder-for-hire conspiracy.

At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Lewis Liman heard arguments from Loadholt’s lawyers, who sought leniency by claiming their client was manipulated by a friend and was not fully aware of the broader assassination plan.

They argued that Loadholt was "largely kept in the dark" about the true nature of the operation, although they acknowledged he understood there was potential for "serious violence."

In a personal letter submitted to the court, Loadholt admitted wrongdoing and expressed remorse. "It was wrong on every level," he wrote.

FBI reveals plan to track and kill Masih Alinejad

James Barnacle, head of the FBI’s New York office, said Loadholt had been tasked with surveilling Alinejad before the FBI intervened and disrupted the alleged operation.

US Attorney Jay Clayton alleged that Iran targeted Alinejad because of her activism exposing what he described as discrimination, corruption and human rights abuses by the Iranian regime. The Justice Department has repeatedly alleged that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed multiple operations against Alinejad over the years.

Another suspect, Afghan national Farhad Shakeri, remains at large in Iran. US authorities accuse him of recruiting men for the operation on behalf of the IRGC.

Alinejad fled Iran in 2009 and later became a US citizen. Through her "My Stealthy Freedom" campaign and massive online following, she encouraged Iranian women to publicly defy mandatory headscarf laws by posting photos and videos without hijabs.

The journalist has survived multiple alleged plots against her. In 2022, US prosecutors said another assassination attempt targeting her was foiled at the last minute. Prosecutors also revealed during earlier proceedings that Iranian operatives had allegedly placed a $500,000 bounty on her.