MIAMI – In a stunning turn of events, Anthony Brillante II, 36, was found guilty by a Ft. Lauderdale federal jury on July 11, 2025, for attempting to silence the voices that sought justice against him. Brillante stands convicted of attempted murder of an employee of the United States, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.
The defendant’s plot targeted not only the federal prosecutor and FBI Special Agent who investigated his cyber harassment case but also extended to the witnesses and victims themselves. His motive was clear: to silence those who stood against him before the start of his scheduled federal cyber harassment trial on October 30, 2023.
In a chilling escalation of events, Brillante orchestrated this sinister plan just weeks prior to his trial. On October 29, 2023, the day before his cyber harassment case was set to commence, he met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman, offering $40,000 to carry out the murders. His scheme was thwarted when the FBI arrested him shortly thereafter.
Brillante’s reign of terror began in August 2022 when he cyber harassed his own family. As a student at Florida International University (FIU) at the time, he spoofed hundreds of phone numbers to flood his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter with tens of thousands of threatening calls and texts over a 15-month period. His messages were filled with explicit threats of violence against them.
The federal cyber harassment investigation revealed that Brillante’s malevolence did not stop at his own family. He had also targeted another cousin and her husband in Texas with similar threats. Despite this, he was ultimately sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment for his cyber harassment convictions.
Sentencing for the murder-for-hire plot is set for October 1, 2025. The U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office announced the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Deric Zacca from the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with AUSA Daren Grove handling asset forfeiture.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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