Texas Influencer Sentenced to 10 Years for Murder-for-Hire Plot

DALLAS, TX – A Dallas-based social media influencer has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme targeting three individuals, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

Ashley Grayson, 35, who gained online fame through her business ventures, became embroiled in controversy in 2021 after accusing a Mississippi woman managing a similar business of creating fake profiles to harm her reputation. Grayson, who never met the woman in person, allegedly sought retribution in 2022.

Federal prosecutors revealed Grayson invited a Tennessee couple to Dallas under the guise of a business meeting. Instead, she offered them money to kill three individuals: the Mississippi woman, a former boyfriend, and a Texas woman who had posted negatively about her online. Grayson promised at least $20,000 per killing, according to court documents.

The couple, however, deceived Grayson. They staged evidence of an attempted murder, including a photo of police lights from an unrelated incident, and demanded $10,000 for their supposed efforts. Grayson paid the couple, according to federal officials.

In July 2023, Grayson was indicted on charges of using an interstate facility to commit murder-for-hire. She was convicted and sentenced to the maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.