Brooklyn Man Sentenced in Iran-Backed Murder-for-Hire Plot

Carlisle Rivera, also known as "Pop", was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a failed Iran-backed murder-for-hire plot targeting Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad. Prosecutors describe the plot as part of an ongoing effort by Iran to repress political opponents abroad. Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges.

Carlisle Rivera, dubbed "Pop," has been handed a 15-year prison sentence for his involvement in a botched Iran-supported murder-for-hire scheme aimed at Masih Alinejad, a well-known Iranian dissident and critic of Iran's policies, living in the U.S., as reported by the Justice Department.

Rivera was found guilty of conspiring to commit murder-for-hire and stalking by U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in the Southern District of New York, according to a Justice Department statement. Alinejad, a vocal critic of Iran’s head-covering laws, was the alleged target of the plot while residing in Brooklyn.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and intelligence officials have been accused by U.S. prosecutors of repeatedly targeting Alinejad, although Iran denies any such intentions. The case falls under the Justice Department's focus on transnational repression conducted by authoritarian regimes.