Murder for Hire Plot Results in Federal Charges for Nashville Man

George Anhalt, Jr, 48, of Nashville, Tennessee, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of obstruction of justice; possession and distribution of heroin; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possessing a firearm during the commission of a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney Don Cochran of the Middle District of Tennessee. 

According to the documents filed with the court, in June 2018, Anhalt was charged in a criminal complaint with conspiring to possess and distribute heroin and methamphetamine in 2017.  That case resulted from an extensive investigation in 2017 into the Filmon Mehtsentu drug trafficking organization.  Mehtsentu and 12 associates were subsequently indicted in December 2017, and charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. 

The charges in the indictment filed yesterday are based upon Anhalt’s attempt to kill a witness whom he believed to be cooperating with federal law enforcement in the Mehtsentu case.  As described at Anhalt’s detention hearing, in late May 2018, Anhalt contacted a DEA agent, operating in an undercover capacity, to discuss how to kill that witness.  Anhalt discussed providing two doses of drugs to the witness, whom he believed was an addict, with the second dose intending to cause an overdose.  Anhalt agreed to provide those two doses to the agent in exchange for $1,000 and two firearms. 

On June 7, 2018, Anhalt met with the undercover agent and accepted an initial payment of $500.00, which Anhalt stated he would use to purchase the two doses of drugs.  When Anhalt subsequently met with the agent at a Nashville hotel on June 10, 2018, he provided two doses of drugs to the agent.  The first dose contained heroin and the second dose contained heroin and Seroquel, an anti-psychotic drug.  Anhalt then took possession of another $500 and two handguns as payment for the heroin and ATF agents arrested him in the hotel room.  

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Hannafan is prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an accusation.  The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.