Arrested after applying to work as hitman on fake website

A few years ago, I did a post centered on a parody website Rent-a-Hitman.  I referred to one instance of a person who assumed it to be real, and asked for the services of a hitman, which led to her being arrested.  The website is in the news again after the arrest of a man who allegedly applied on the site, expressing interest to work as a hitman. 

Excerpts from a news report:

Authorities recently arrested a Tennessee Air National Guard service member after he reportedly sought work as a hitman on a fake website known to lure would-be criminals.

FBI agents earlier this month arrested Josiah Ernesto Garcia, 21, who allegedly attempted to become a hired killer with the parody website rentahitman.com, according to a criminal complaint filed in a Tennessee district court.

Garcia reportedly first inquired about employment with the site on February 16, indicating he possessed “military experience, and rifle expertise.”

A few days later, the complaint alleges Garcia, nicknamed “Reaper,” submitted a resume noting his employment in the state’s Air National Guard from July 2021 to present. It remains unclear whether he submitted a cover letter or three professional references, as is custom with non-hitman job applications.

Rather than focus his job search on an accredited platform, Garcia sent multiple follow up emails to the site. The FBI eventually intervened, instructing the website owner to set up a “phone interview” with the aspiring hitman.

“I’ve been looking into this for some time now. I was looking for a way to make good money,” Garcia reportedly told the FBI, saying in another email to the website owner that he wanted a good paying job to support a child he had on the way.

In the interview, Garcia also reportedly said he would be comfortable with taking fingers or ears as trophies, or performing torture at a client’s request.