Man With Ties to Iran Pleads Not Guilty in Assassination Plot Against US Politicians
Published on September 17, 2024
A Pakistani national who federal authorities say has ties with Iran entered a not guilty plea in federal court to charges that he attempted to arrange a murder-for-hire as part of a scheme to assassinate current or former U.S. officials. Asif Merchant, who also is accused of plotting to commit an act of terrorism, was ordered detained pending trial at a federal courthouse in New York City on Monday. He entered his plea to one count of attempting to commit terrorism across national boundaries and one count of murder for hire. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy ordered that Merchant, who federal prosecutors say spent time in Iran before heading to the United States, be detained pending trial....