A Texas woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot, targeting three people.
Ashley Grayson, a self-proclaimed "eight-figure business coach" and internet sensation, traded her influencer lifestyle for a decade behind bars.
The 35-year-old Dallas resident had built her brand selling online courses. She described herself on Instagram as a “public figure, best seller, 8 figure business coach, course creator” and “philanthropist.”
Highlights
- Ashley Grayson was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a murder-for-hire plot.
- The 35-year-old Dallas resident hired a Memphis couple and offered $20,000 each for three targets.
- The hit-list included Ashley’s ex-boyfriend, a business rival whom she never met in person and another woman.
- “This was a twenty-first century crime where online feuds and senseless rivalries bled into the real world,” the acting prosecutor said.
Ashley Grayson, an "eight-figure business coach" and influencer, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a chilling murder-for-hire plot
Image credits: Ashley Grayson
Image credits: Ashley Grayson
During her influencer days, she claimed to make $1 million in just 40 minutes through her online course, teaching people how to turn their own skills and passions into online courses.
She was convicted in a chilling murder-for-hire scheme that, if successful, would have left three people dead, according to a statement released by the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
The murder-for-hire plot unfolded in 2022, when Ashley approached a Memphis woman with the sinister proposition. Ashley had worked with the woman in the past and asked her to fly to Dallas with her husband in September 2022 to discuss a “business opportunity.”
The convicted woman allegedly offered the couple $20,000 per target to eliminate three individuals: a business rival from Mississippi, an ex-partner, and a Texas woman who had criticized her on social media.
The 35-year-old Dallas resident hired a Memphis couple and offered $20,000 each for three targets
Image credits: Ashley Grayson
Image credits: Ashley Grayson
Officials revealed that the target in Mississippi was running an online business similar to Ashley’s, and they both had a fallout at some point. The now-convicted woman had even criticized the business rival for creating fake online profiles to tarnish her image. The two, however, never met in person.
It is unclear why Ashley’s ex-partner was on the hit-list. The third target was a Texas woman who shared negative social media posts about Ashley.
After meeting with the course creator in September 2022, the Memphis couple shook hands on the deal and agreed to carry out the murder plot. However, they turned the tables against Ashley by going to the police with video evidence of her promising to pay an extra $5,000 to kill the Mississippi woman within a week.
The hit-list included Ashley's ex-boyfriend, a business rival whom she never met in person and another woman
Image credits: Ashley Grayson
Image credits: Ashley Grayson
Adding to the twist, the Memphis couple later shared an unrelated video of police lights to Ashley and claimed their attempt to eliminate the Mississippi business rival failed.
They even collected $10,000 from Ashley for their supposed “attempt” to murder. The evidence eventually led to her conviction.
“This was a twenty-first century crime where online feuds and senseless rivalries bled into the real world,” Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, said in the statement.
“The defendant tried to hire someone to murder a woman over things that happened exclusively on the internet,” the acting prosecutor said.
“This was a twenty-first century crime where online feuds and senseless rivalries bled into the real world,” the acting prosecutor said
Image credits: Ashley Grayson
Image credits: Ashley Grayson
“Fortunately, no one was physically hurt in this case, but the victim and her family still felt a severe and emotional impact as the result of the defendant’s actions,” he continued. “The proactive response from the investigating agencies and our prosecutors prevented an even more serious crime from occurring.”
Last month, Ashley was given the maximum sentence of 120 months in prison. Her husband, meanwhile, was acquitted of any involvement in the case.
Reagan announced her 10-year sentence on November 18, 2024. Since this is a federal case, the convicted woman is not eligible for parole.