Westchester Man Involved In Assassination Plot Directed By Iran: FBI

YONKERS, NY — A Westchester man stands accused in a murder-for-hire plot, directed from Iran, that targeted an outspoken dissident living in New York City.

A federal court in New York unsealed murder-for-hire and money laundering charges on Friday against three members of an Eastern European criminal organization for plotting the murder of a U.S. citizen who has been targeted by the government of Iran for speaking out against the regime’s human rights abuses.

Rafat Amirov, aka Farkhaddin Mirzoev, aka Pᴎᴍ, aka Rome, 43, of Iran; Polad Omarov, aka Araz Aliyev, aka Polad Qaqa, aka Haci Qaqa, 38, of the Czech Republic and Slovenia; and Khalid Mehdiyev, 24, of Yonkers are charged with money laundering and murder-for-hire in a superseding indictment unsealed Friday in the Southern District of New York.

Amirov, who resides in Iran, arrived in the Southern District of New York on Jan. 26, and was scheduled to be arraigned on charges before Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave Friday. Mehdiyev was arrested on July 29, and will be arraigned on Jan. 31. Omarov was arrested in the Czech Republic on Jan. 4, and the United States will request his extradition on the charges, according to court documents.

"The Victim in this case was targeted for exercising the rights to which every American citizen is entitled," Attorney General Merrick Garland said announcing the indictments. "The Victim publicized the Iranian Government's human rights abuses; discriminatory treatment of women; suppression of democratic participation and expression; and use of arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and execution. The Department of Justice will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to undermine those protections and the rule of law upon which our democracy is based. We will not tolerate attempts by a foreign power to threaten, silence, or harm Americans."

Amirov is a leader in an Eastern European criminal organization who resides in Iran, according to law enforcement. Omarov also holds a leadership role in the organization and resides in Eastern Europe. Mehdiyev, a member of the gang, resides in Yonkers. The crime syndicate has ties to Iran and is violent, engaging in murders, kidnappings, assaults, and extortions, and members typically identify themselves with tattoos and other displays of eight-pointed stars, according to prosecutors.

Since at least July 2022, the gang was tasked with carrying out the murder of a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin, who previously has been the target of plots by the government of Iran to intimidate, harass and kidnap the victim, federal officials said. The intended victim, Masih Alinejad, is a journalist, author and human rights activist, residing in Brooklyn, who has publicized the government of Iran’s human rights abuses and suppression of political expression, including in connection with continuing protests against the regime across Iran.

"The indictment unsealed today reflects the FBI’s commitment to follow the facts wherever they lead, to work our way up to the leaders of criminal plots wherever they are, and to use our long reach to bring those responsible here to face justice in the United States," FBI Director Christopher Wray said. "The conduct charged shows how far Iranian actors are willing to go to silence critics, even attempting to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil. We are determined to safeguard the rights of all Americans from the oppressive reach of hostile regimes."

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said Iran's activities in the U.S have become a repeat problem.

"This is the second time in the past two years that this office and our partners at the FBI have disrupted plots originating from within Iran to kidnap or kill this victim for the 'crime' of exercising the right to free speech, to independent political thought, and to advocating for the rights of the oppressed and disenfranchised inside Iran," Williams said. "Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the career prosecutors and FBI agents who led the investigation, this new plot to silence the victim has been disrupted and the defendants will face justice in an American court."

As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad from within the United States for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the regime. That plot was disrupted and exposed by the FBI and led to the filing of federal kidnapping conspiracy and other charges in the Southern District of New York against several participants in the plot in United States v. Farahani, et al., 21 Cr. 430.

About one year after the Farahani charges were filed, the criminal organization, whose members were charged most recently, was tasked with carrying out Alinejad's assassination on U.S. soil, according to law enforcement.

Prosecutors said that beginning in mid-July 2022, Amirov sent targeting information, which Amirov had received from other individuals in Iran, about Alinejad and her residence to Omarov. Omarov, in turn, communicated the targeting information to Mehdiyev in order to begin conducting surveillance of Alinejad and reconnaissance of her residence and surrounding neighborhood, according to federal court filings. Mehdiyev sent photographs and videos of Alinejad's residence to Omarov for further sharing with Amirov and the plot’s orchestrators in Iran, federal officials said.

After Mehdiyev’s initial surveillance of Alinejad’s home, Amirov and Omarov arranged for the delivery of a $30,000 cash payment to Mehdiyev in New York City, which prosecutors said was in furtherance of the plot. Officials said Mehdiyev used a portion of this cash payment to buy an AK-47-style assault rifle along with two magazines for ammunition and at least 66 rounds. Mehdiyev bragged in electronic communications that he had procured for himself a "war machine."

Between July 20 and 28, 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Alinejad’s neighborhood to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance, sending reports of her activities, photographs, and videos to Omarov for further distribution to Amirov. On July 24, 2022, after arriving at the victim’s residence, Mehdiyev reported to Omarov that Mehdiyev was "at the crime scene." Omarov encouraged Mehdiyev, "You are a man!" Mehdiyev described to Omarov that "we blocked it from both sides, it will be a show once she steps out of the house." Omarov forwarded this report to Amirov, who responded, "God willing."

Prosecutors contend that Mehdiyev was unable to carry out the assassination that day and returned on several subsequent days to seek out opportunities to complete the murder mission. Amirov, Omarov and Mehdiyev schemed different strategies to attempt to draw Alinejad out, according to the FBI, including by attempting to ask her for flowers from her garden.

On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent Omarov a video taken from inside the car Mehdiyev was driving showing the assault rifle, along with the message that "we are ready," according to federal law enforcement. After observing "suspicious" activity outside her home, Alinejad left the area, and Mehdiyev drove away shortly afterwards. After Mehdiyev drove away from the home, he was stopped after a traffic violation, and during a subsequent search of the car, police officers report finding the assault rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask.

Amirov, Omarov, and Mehdiyev are charged with: murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Mehdiyev is additionally charged with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

The FBI and its NY Field Office Counterintelligence-Cyber Division, the NY FBI Iran Threat Task Force, the NY FBI Counterintelligence Task Force and the NY FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating the case, with assistance provided by the NYPD and the NYPD Intelligence Bureau, as well as the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs.