Asif Merchant, a Pakistani national with ties to Iran, pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges alleging he attempted to commit an act of terrorism and murder-for-hire as part of a scheme to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Merchant was arrested in August after contacting an individual he believed could assist him with the plot.
Asif Merchant was ordered detained pending trial.Watch the 6abc Philadelphia 24/7 stream featuring Action News, AccuWeather and EntertainmentA Pakistani national with ties to Iran pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges alleging he attempted to commit an act of terrorism and murder-for-hire as part of a scheme to assassinateThe suspect, Asif Merchant , was ordered detained pending trial during the hearing in Brooklyn federal court.
This image provided by the Justice Department, contained in the complaint supporting the arrest warrant, shows Asif Merchant.58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh -- appeared in a Florida court to answer firearm chargesMerchant was indicted on federal charges in August, after being previously arrested and charged by complaint the month prior.
After spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan in April and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme to kill Trump, the complaint alleged. That person reported Merchant's conduct to law enforcement and became a confidential source, according to the indictment.Merchant sought to hire hitmen who could carry out the assassination of Trump and others, the indictment alleged.
Merchant met with the purported hitmen -- who were in fact undercover U.S. law enforcement officers -- in New York, according to the indictment. He allegedly told them they would receive instructions on who to kill either the last week of August or the first week of September, after Merchant had departed the U.S., according to the indictment.
After Merchant paid the $5,000 to the "hitmen," the indictment quoted one of them saying, "Now we're bonded," to which Merchant allegedly responded, "Yes." The undercover officer then stated, "Now we know we're going forward. We're doing this," to which Merchant allegedly responded, "Yes, absolutely," according to the indictment.
Asif Merchant Terrorism Murder-For-Hire Donald Trump Iran Assassination Plot
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