Ashley Grayson, an influencer and digital entrepreneur, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating a plot to hire a hitman to eliminate her former partner and several online rivals. Grayson, aged 35, rose to fame in Dallas, Texas, for her remarkable achievement of earning $1 million within an hour of launching her online course platform.
According to reports by Fox 4 News, Grayson invited the friend to Dallas under the guise of discussing a “business opportunity.” However, the supposed opportunity turned out to be murder-for-hire scheme.
The three included Grayson’s ex, as well as a bitter rival who ran a similar online business in Mississippi.
She also asked them to kill a Texas woman who made negative social media posts about her online, prosecutors said.
US Attorney Reagan Fondren said,
“The defendant tried to hire someone to murder a woman over things that happened exclusively on the internet.”
Grayson allegedly proposed that the friend and her husband carry out the killings of three individuals who she perceived as threats to her reputation. She offered $20,000 per target.
The Memphis couple pretended to agree to the deal — but instead gave police a video of Grayson saying she would pay them an extra $5,000 to carry out the murder of the Mississippi woman within the week.
The couple later sent Grayson a video of police lights from an unrelated incident, claiming they tried to carry out the murder but got caught. They later met with Grayson and were given $10,000 for their “attempt,” prosecutors said.
Grayson was found guilty of murder-for-hire and given the maximum sentence of 120 months in prison. She will not be eligible for parole because it was a federal case.
Her husband was earlier acquitted of any involvement.
Court documents highlighted that Grayson’s actions were fueled by paranoia and hostility stemming from negative online commentary. Prosecutors argued that Grayson, determined to preserve her carefully curated public image, resorted to drastic measures, ultimately crossing the line from digital disputes to criminal behavior.
“This case highlights the perilous lengths some individuals will go to protect their online personas,” stated the lead prosecutor during the trial. “Ashley Grayson’s obsession with her image not only endangered lives but undermined the very community she claimed to inspire.”
“Social media may be a platform for free expression, but it is not a lawless space where threats and violence are excusable,” the judge declared.
“No amount of online harassment or criticism validates taking the law into one’s hands,” the judge concluded while announcing the sentence.
The lead prosecutor summed up the case, saying, “This judgment sends a clear message: actions have consequences, and the digital age is no excuse for criminal behavior.”
