Posted on: March 21, 2025 03:55 PM

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Two Eastern European organized crime leaders convicted of murder for hire targeting US based journalist on behalf of the Iranian Government

Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Leslie R. Backschies, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that a jury returned guilty verdicts against RAFAT AMIROV, a/k/a “Farkhaddin Mirzoev,” a/k/a “P??,”  a/k/a “Rome,” and POLAD OMAROV, a/k/a “Araz Aliyev,” a/k/a “Polad Qaqa,” a/k/a “Haci Qaqa,” on all five counts in the Superseding Indictment, which included murder-for-hire and attempted murder in aid of racketeering charges, in a trial before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon.  AMIROV and OMAROV are scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2025.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Leslie R. Backschies said: “The convictions of Rafat Amirov and Polad Omarov send a clear message to all foreign governments who violate our laws and attempt to commit violence against Americans — they and their proxies will face justice for any attempt to silence Americans on U.S. soil.  The Iranian government’s shameless conduct and attempt to violate our laws and assassinate a critic of their human rights atrocities will not be tolerated.  The FBI is determined to disrupt any effort by foreign governments to use violence to repress our citizens’ freedoms, here or abroad.”

As reflected in the Superseding Indictment and the evidence presented at trial:

AMIROV and OMAROV were high-ranking members of an Azeri faction of the Russian Mob (the “Organization”) who worked with other members of the Organization to attempt to kill Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). Alinejad has previously been the target of plots by the Government of Iran to intimidate, harass, and kidnap her for her work as a journalist, author, and human rights activist who has publicized the Government of Iran’s human rights abuses around the world.  As recently as 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad from within the U.S. for rendition to Iran in an effort to silence her criticism of the Iranian regime.

After these brazen efforts to kidnap Alinejad from the U.S. failed, the IRGC turned to AMIROV and OMAROV to locate, surveil, and murder her.  Beginning in approximately July 2022, AMIROV sent targeting information—which he had received directly from IRGC officials in Iran—about Alinejad to OMAROV.  In turn, OMAROV communicated this information to Khalid Mehdiyev, another member of the Organization who had been residing in Yonkers, New York, so that Mehdiyev could surveil Alinejad and murder her. In turn, Mehdiyev sent photographs and videos of Alinejad’s residence to OMAROV, who shared these materials with AMIROV and the IRGC officials who orchestrated the plot in Iran.  AMIROV and OMAROV then arranged for a $30,000 cash payment to Mehdiyev, who used a portion of this payment to buy an AK-47 style assault rifle, two magazines, and at least 66 rounds of ammunition; as Mehdiyev boasted in electronic communications, a “war machine” he could use to kill Alinejad.

In late July 2022, Mehdiyev repeatedly traveled to Alinejad’s neighborhood to surveil her.  Mehdiyev sent reports of his surveillance to OMAROV, who passed them to AMIROV.  On July 24, 2022, Mehdiyev reported to OMAROV from Alinejad’s residence that he was “at the crime scene.”  On July 27, 2022, OMAROV told AMIROV that Mehdiyev was ready to kill Alinejad, writing “this matter will be over today.  I told them to make a birthday present for me.  I pressured them, they will sleep there this night.”  On July 28, 2022, Mehdiyev sent OMAROV a video taken from inside the car that Mehdiyev was driving with the assault rifle and a message reading “we are ready.”  AMIROV sent an image of the interior of Alinejad’s home to OMAROV to be forwarded to Mehdiyev, writing “this is the house where she stays.”  As OMAROV continued to update AMIROV about Mehdiyev’s readiness, AMIROV cautioned OMAROV “let him keep the car clean.”  When Mehdiyev subsequently drove from where he was surveilling the residence, he was stopped after a traffic violation and, during a subsequent search of the vehicle, police officers found the assault rifle, 66 rounds of ammunition, approximately $1,100 in cash, and a black ski mask.

After Mehdiyev was arrested and placed into custody, OMAROV contacted Mehdiyev’s mother and threatened to kill her and her other son if she did not locate Mehdiyev.

AMIROV, 46, of Iran; OMAROV, 40, of the country of Georgia, were convicted on five counts:  murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count One); conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count Two); conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison (Count Three); attempted murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison (Count Four); and possession and use of a firearm in connection with the attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison (Count Five).

From DOJ