MIAMI – Anthony Brillante II, 36, is facing a significantly extended prison stay after a federal jury in Fort Lauderdale convicted him of orchestrating a chilling murder-for-hire plot. The target list wasn’t random; it included the Assistant United States Attorney and FBI Special Agent who built the case against him for relentless cyber harassment, as well as the victims of that harassment. The scheme unfolded right before Brillante’s cyber harassment trial was set to begin on October 30, 2023.
The roots of this escalating criminality stretch back to August 2022, when the FBI arrested Brillante for subjecting his family in New York to a brutal campaign of cyber harassment. While attending Florida International University (FIU), Brillante allegedly spoofed hundreds of phone numbers, bombarding his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter with tens of thousands of threatening calls and texts over fifteen months. The threats weren’t veiled; they explicitly detailed plans to shoot and run over the victims. The investigation broadened, revealing similar menacing messages directed at another cousin and her husband residing in Texas.
Facing trial for these offenses, Brillante didn’t attempt to defend himself – he attempted to eliminate those who would testify against him. In October 2023, he funneled a total of $40,000 into the plot. On October 29th, the day before his scheduled trial, Brillante met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman. He explicitly enlisted the agent to murder the prosecutor, the FBI agent, and the victims of his cyber harassment, a desperate attempt to derail the proceedings and avoid accountability.
Despite his calculated efforts, Brillante was initially convicted of cyber harassment and sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment. But the FBI didn’t stop there, continuing to build a case for the murder-for-hire scheme. The jury clearly saw through his deception, delivering guilty verdicts on charges 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.
“This wasn’t just a desperate attempt to avoid justice; it was a brazen attempt to silence those who dared to pursue it,” said a source close to the investigation. Sentencing in the murder-for-hire case is scheduled for October 1, 2025. Expect a substantial addition to Brillante’s existing nine-year sentence. This case underscores the lengths to which some individuals will go to evade responsibility, and the unwavering commitment of federal agencies to protect those who serve justice.
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 convictions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence D. LaVecchio and Deric Zacca are prosecuting the case, with AUSA Daren Grove handling asset forfeiture. Further information can be found at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls and www.flsd.uscourts.gov (case number 24-cr-60204).
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Cybercrime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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