Andrew Luger is the United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota. Much of the work of his office performs is directed to filling the role that local law enforcement has proved itself unable and/or unwilling to play. Today, however, Luger’s office has charged out a case that originates in Iran. The charges are brought against an Iranian operative named Naji Sharifi Zindashti, a/k/a Big and Big Guy, as well as two residents of Canada, one of whom is a former Minnesota resident.
The three named defendants are charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme to assassinate two Maryland residents — an unnamed defector from Iran and a companion who fled with him. Zindashti was of course operating on behalf of the Iranian regime. The press release cites “Zindashti’s criminal network that targets Iranian dissidents and opposition activists for kidnapping and assassination at the direction of the Iranian regime.” It’s too bad he won’t be visiting us to face the music.
The indictment is posted here. The press release summarizes the charges:
According to court documents, from December 2020 through March 2021, Naji Sharifi Zindashti, 49, Damion Patrick John Ryan, 43, and Adam Richard Pearson, 29, conspired with each other in a plot to murder two residents of the state of Maryland. The defendants, one of whom is based in Iran, used an encrypted messaging service called “SkyECC” to recruit individuals who would travel into the United States to carry out the killings, to discuss the identities and locations of the would-be victims, to plan logistics and mechanics of how to carry out the murders, and to negotiate payment for completion of this “job” in Maryland. The intended victims of this plot, who at the time resided in Maryland, had previously fled to the United States after one of them defected from Iran.
The press release quotes the FBI’s assistant director of counterintelligence: “Today’s charges show a pattern of Iranian groups trying to murder U.S. residents on U.S. soil.” Iran currently seeks to murder former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Advisor John Bolton, among others. And to think that this is how the Iranian regime reciprocates the love Joe Biden shows it. It’s almost enough to make one think they have no respect for him or for the United States, not that he cares.