Air National Guardsman allegedly tried to apply for a job as a hit man, sent résumé to site

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TCD) -- A 21-year-old member of the Air National Guard is facing federal charges for allegedly trying to get a job as a hit man and uploading his résumé to a parody website.

On Friday, April 14, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee announced Josiah Ernesto Garcia was charged in federal court with use of interstate facilities in commission of murder-for-hire.

In February, Garcia allegedly looked online for jobs as a mercenary because he was in need of money to support his family and came across www.rentahitman.com, which was created in 2005 in order to advertise a cyber security startup. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the startup company failed, but the website "received many inquiries about murder-for-hire services."

The website includes fake testimonials, such as one from a fake woman named Laura from Arizona who wrote, "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!"

Another part of the site reads, "Let’s face it, we’ve all had a relationship or two that you just wish would go away, but didn’t know just how to end it. Look no further and let RENT-A-HITMAN take care of the dirty work for you. To get started, submit a Service Request form and one of our highly skilled Relationship Advisors will provide you a FREE consultation."

Garcia allegedly sent an inquiry on the site "indicating that he was interested in obtaining employment as a hit man." The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges Garcia submitted official documents and his résumé, adding that he gained the nickname "Reaper" in the Air National Guard because of his marksmanship and military career.

He reportedly said he "wanted to go to work as soon as possible."

Garcia began communicating with an undercover FBI agent posing as someone who wanted an individual killed. The FBI agent offered $5,000 for the hit, and the two met at a park in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the FBI agent gave Garcia a “target packet of a fictional individual, which included photographs and other information about the individual to be killed,” as well as a deposit of $2,500.

Garcia allegedly agreed to the terms, then asked the undercover agent "if he needed to provide a photograph of the dead body."

FBI agents then arrested him and searched his home, where they found an AR-style rifle.

Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison if he is convicted.

MORE:

• Air National Guardsman Charged In Murder-For-Hire Scheme - U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee