DOJ: Man with ties to Iran tried to hire NYC hit men, met with police instead

The Justice Department complaint, unsealed Tuesday, did not mention who Merchant was targeting. However, CNN and Reuters reported, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter, that authorities believe former President Donald Trump is among those at risk.

A 20-year-old gunman tried to kill Trump on July 13 — the day after Merchant’s arrest — in Butler, Pennsylvania. No evidence has emerged to suggest the attack was linked to Merchant.

While the Justice Department has not explicitly said Merchant was working with Iran, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the case was “straight out of the Iranian playbook.”

Multiple other officials, including the FBI special agent in charge of Merchant’s case, also referenced Iran’s threats against the U.S. government in the statement and court documents.

The United States fears Iranian retaliation for the 2020 drone strike ordered by Trump that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, a top leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations and the Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider outside business hours.

Buyer’s Plans, According to Justice Department

Prosecutors said Merchant spent time in Iran before arriving in the U.S. in April and also traveled frequently to Syria and Iraq. Officials also said he mentioned he had a wife and children in Iran.

According to the indictment filed against him, Merchant said he intended to target “those who would harm Pakistan and the world, the Muslim world.”

According to the document, his first stop was Houston, where he contacted someone posing as someone wanting to start a business.

However, this anonymous person suspected that something wrong was happening and reported the matter to law enforcement, becoming their informant.

Investigators say Merchant flew to New York that same month to meet with the informant, telling him the latter could earn up to $100,000 for helping him carry out his plans. To show his intentions, Merchant made a “finger gun” gesture with his hand, according to prosecutors.

According to prosecutors, the informant later introduced Merchant to two men he mistook for potential hit men but who were actually undercover cops.

The document said he identified himself as a “representative” of foreign parties and suggested he was receiving instructions to “finalize” his plans and leave the US.

Prosecutors say Merchant repeatedly met with undercover officers and asked them to speak in code.

He added that he would likely give them instructions via secure cellphone in August or September 2024 and gave them $5,000 in cash as a down payment, according to the indictment.

The Justice Department added that Merchant also ordered the men to steal documents, organize a false protest and launder money.

Officials said he was arrested in Texas after returning to the state to fly out of the U.S., where a note with all his code words was found in his briefcase. Merchant is in federal custody, and the FBI is investigating, officials said.

CNN reported that before the attempted assassination of Butler at the rally, officials passed intelligence obtained from Merchant to the Secret Service.

It was previously reported that Trump’s campaign had received enhanced security following information about an Iranian plot to kill the former president.

The fact that the young gunman was able to shoot at Trump at the rally has raised questions about the protection provided to the former president.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside Business Insider business hours.