The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Jonathan Loadholt, an American citizen residing in Staten Island, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a plot to “stalk and murder” Iranian-American political activist Masih Alinejad.
According to the department’s statement released on Wednesday, Loadholt participated in a “murder-for-hire” plot that U.S. authorities say was directed by the Iranian government and aimed at tracking and assassinating Masih Alinejad in New York.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, who handled the case, pointed to repeated attempts to target the political activist, saying: “The Iranian regime has repeatedly attempted to track and murder Masih Alinejad in New York City.” He added that the sentence should serve as a “stern warning” to individuals who act to carry out the agendas of a hostile foreign government on U.S. soil.
The case involves multiple defendants, and Loadholt is the second individual to be sentenced. Previously, in January 2026, Carlisle Rivera, another co-defendant in the case, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Farhad Shakeri, another individual charged in the plot, remains at large.
