The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Shahram Poursafi, also known by aliases such as Mehdi Rezayi and Shahin Pourbakhsh.
Poursafi is a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is believed to have been working on behalf of the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to arrange the murder-for-hire of former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton.
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Between October 2021 and April 2022, Poursafi allegedly attempted to hire criminal operatives within the United States to assassinate Bolton in either Washington, D.C., or Maryland, offering $300,000 for the job. He reportedly provided material support to facilitate the plot and even hinted at a second assassination job for the same potential assassin, who turned out to be a confidential informant for U.S. investigators.
On August 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a criminal complaint against Poursafi for his role in the assassination plot. If convicted, Poursafi could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for using interstate commerce facilities to commit murder-for-hire. He could also face an additional 15 years in prison and another $250,000 fine for providing material support to the plot. Poursafi remains at large.
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On June 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Poursafi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 due to his involvement in the plot. This designation blocks any of his property or interests under U.S. jurisdiction, and prohibits U.S. persons from conducting transactions with him. The IRGC, to which Poursafi belongs, has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S. Secretary of State.
Anyone with information on Shahram Poursafi or related activities is encouraged to contact RFJ via Signal at +1-202-702-7843 or through its Tor-based tips-reporting channel. All information is kept confidential, and relocation assistance may be available.
More information about this reward offer is located on the Rewards for Justice website.
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