A Tennessee Air National Guardsman took a shot at a new career that would utilize the talents he amassed in the military–including marksmanship skills that he claimed earned him the nickname “Reaper”–by applying for a job on the website RentAHitman.com, “your point and click solution,” according to the website.
According to NBC News, 21-year-old Josiah Ernesto Garcia filled out an online application at the parody website, which was first set up decades ago for a start-up company to help small businesses fight off cyberattacks but morphed into a parody assassination-for-hire website that boasted more than “17,985 U.S. Based Field Operatives” and “100% compliance with the Hitman Information Privacy and Protection Act of 1964 (HIPPA)” [original emphasis].
Garcia was persistent, telling his potential employer that he was highly regarded for his shooting skills in the military, saying needed money to support his child and boasting that he rated as a “Marksman Expert … for not missing a single bullseye on all of the targets and for shooting expert with 2 (or more) weapons,” according to the Washington Post’s story.
Garcia followed up his initial inquiry by sending the site operator–who has forwarded previous inquiries to authorities–information including his home address and a selfie. A persistent applicant, Garcia made regular contact with the site until an FBI agent, posing as a “field operative” arranged to meet Garcia. During the meeting, the undercover FBI agent repeatedly told Garcia he could walk away without repercussions, but Garcia persisted, saying in an email, “Im [sic] looking for a job, that pays well, related to my military experience (Shooting and Killing the marked target) so I can support my kid on the way. What can I say, I enjoy doing what I do, so if I can find a job that is similar to it, (such as this one) put me in coach!” He was finally arrested after taking a packet of information on a fictitious target and a $2,500 downpayment.