Topline: Federal prosecutors say Brillante wanted to eliminate witnesses and investigators to derail his cyber harassment trial.
Published: July 23, 2025 8:00 am ET
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Anthony Brillante II (via FIU Police Department)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — A South Florida man already serving a nine-year sentence for cyberstalking his family is now facing even more prison time after a federal jury convicted him of plotting to kill the prosecutor, FBI agent, and witnesses connected to his first case.
Anthony Frederick Brillante II, 36, a former Florida International University student, was found guilty on July 11 in Fort Lauderdale of attempted murder of a federal employee, solicitation of a violent crime, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and using interstate communication facilities to commit murder-for-hire.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Brillante attempted to orchestrate a murder plot from behind bars just one day before his 2023 trial on cyber harassment charges was set to begin.
The twisted plan began while Brillante was being held without bond at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.
According to the Miami Herald, on October 29, 2023, he met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman, who had been introduced to him through a cellmate. Prosecutors said Brillante paid a total of $40,000 through intermediaries and bank transfers to carry out a targeted killing spree intended to eliminate the assistant U.S. attorney, the investigating FBI agent, and multiple victims from his harassment case.
Brillante was arrested by the FBI in August 2022 after a months-long campaign of terror against his relatives.
According to court records, Brillante used hundreds of spoofed phone numbers to send tens of thousands of threatening messages and calls to his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter in New York. Over a 15-month period beginning in 2021, he threatened to shoot them in the face and run them over with a car. Similar threats were also sent to another cousin and her husband in Texas.
Despite being behind bars and awaiting trial for those cyber harassment charges, Brillante escalated his criminal behavior in what prosecutors described as a last-ditch effort to derail his prosecution. His actions led to a separate indictment and this month’s conviction on all 22 counts.
Federal prosecutors Lawrence LaVecchio and Deric Zacca, who handled both cases, said Brillante’s conduct began during his time at FIU and continued even after his arrest. Sentencing for the murder-for-hire case is scheduled for October 1 before U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian, and Brillante is expected to receive additional prison time on top of his current sentence.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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DOJ: Cyberstalker Tried to Kill Prosecutor, Family, and FBI Agent Before Trial
Federal prosecutors say Brillante wanted to eliminate witnesses and investigators to derail his cyber harassment trial.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 23, 2025 8:00 am ET
Anthony Brillante II (via FIU Police Department)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — A South Florida man already serving a nine-year sentence for cyberstalking his family is now facing even more prison time after a federal jury convicted him of plotting to kill the prosecutor, FBI agent, and witnesses connected to his first case.
Anthony Frederick Brillante II, 36, a former Florida International University student, was found guilty on July 11 in Fort Lauderdale of attempted murder of a federal employee, solicitation of a violent crime, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and using interstate communication facilities to commit murder-for-hire.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Brillante attempted to orchestrate a murder plot from behind bars just one day before his 2023 trial on cyber harassment charges was set to begin.
The twisted plan began while Brillante was being held without bond at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.
According to the Miami Herald, on October 29, 2023, he met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman, who had been introduced to him through a cellmate. Prosecutors said Brillante paid a total of $40,000 through intermediaries and bank transfers to carry out a targeted killing spree intended to eliminate the assistant U.S. attorney, the investigating FBI agent, and multiple victims from his harassment case.
Brillante was arrested by the FBI in August 2022 after a months-long campaign of terror against his relatives.
According to court records, Brillante used hundreds of spoofed phone numbers to send tens of thousands of threatening messages and calls to his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter in New York. Over a 15-month period beginning in 2021, he threatened to shoot them in the face and run them over with a car. Similar threats were also sent to another cousin and her husband in Texas.
Despite being behind bars and awaiting trial for those cyber harassment charges, Brillante escalated his criminal behavior in what prosecutors described as a last-ditch effort to derail his prosecution. His actions led to a separate indictment and this month’s conviction on all 22 counts.
Federal prosecutors Lawrence LaVecchio and Deric Zacca, who handled both cases, said Brillante’s conduct began during his time at FIU and continued even after his arrest. Sentencing for the murder-for-hire case is scheduled for October 1 before U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian, and Brillante is expected to receive additional prison time on top of his current sentence.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
DOJ: Cyberstalker Tried to Kill Prosecutor, Family, and FBI Agent Before Trial
Federal prosecutors say Brillante wanted to eliminate witnesses and investigators to derail his cyber harassment trial.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 23, 2025 8:00 am ET
Anthony Brillante II (via FIU Police Department)
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — A South Florida man already serving a nine-year sentence for cyberstalking his family is now facing even more prison time after a federal jury convicted him of plotting to kill the prosecutor, FBI agent, and witnesses connected to his first case.
Anthony Frederick Brillante II, 36, a former Florida International University student, was found guilty on July 11 in Fort Lauderdale of attempted murder of a federal employee, solicitation of a violent crime, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and using interstate communication facilities to commit murder-for-hire.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Brillante attempted to orchestrate a murder plot from behind bars just one day before his 2023 trial on cyber harassment charges was set to begin.
The twisted plan began while Brillante was being held without bond at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.
According to the Miami Herald, on October 29, 2023, he met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman, who had been introduced to him through a cellmate. Prosecutors said Brillante paid a total of $40,000 through intermediaries and bank transfers to carry out a targeted killing spree intended to eliminate the assistant U.S. attorney, the investigating FBI agent, and multiple victims from his harassment case.
Brillante was arrested by the FBI in August 2022 after a months-long campaign of terror against his relatives.
According to court records, Brillante used hundreds of spoofed phone numbers to send tens of thousands of threatening messages and calls to his cousin, her husband, and their 12-year-old daughter in New York. Over a 15-month period beginning in 2021, he threatened to shoot them in the face and run them over with a car. Similar threats were also sent to another cousin and her husband in Texas.
Despite being behind bars and awaiting trial for those cyber harassment charges, Brillante escalated his criminal behavior in what prosecutors described as a last-ditch effort to derail his prosecution. His actions led to a separate indictment and this month’s conviction on all 22 counts.
Federal prosecutors Lawrence LaVecchio and Deric Zacca, who handled both cases, said Brillante’s conduct began during his time at FIU and continued even after his arrest. Sentencing for the murder-for-hire case is scheduled for October 1 before U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian, and Brillante is expected to receive additional prison time on top of his current sentence.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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