Overview
- A federal jury on March 6 found Merchant guilty of murder-for-hire and attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, with sentencing to be scheduled and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
- Prosecutors said Merchant trained with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2022–2023 and returned to the United States in April 2024 to recruit killers, steal documents, and stage disruptions.
- An acquaintance he contacted became an FBI source who introduced undercover agents posing as hitmen; meetings in New York were recorded, and investigators said Merchant sketched attack ideas on a napkin.
- Court evidence showed Merchant delivered a $5,000 cash advance to the purported assassins in June 2024 before agents arrested him on July 12, 2024, preventing any attack.
- Targets discussed in conversations included President Donald Trump, then-President Joe Biden, and Nikki Haley, with prosecutors describing a motive tied to retaliation for Qassem Soleimani’s 2020 killing as Tehran issued denials.