Nikhil Gupta has been officially convicted in a US federal court for his involvement in a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting a Sikh separatist leader in New York. The Manhattan judge accepted Gupta’s guilty plea, where he confessed to agreeing with another person to have someone murder an individual in the US and delivering $15,000 in cash for this purpose.
Gupta, aged 54, admitted in court that he knew the intended victim was in New York, specifically in Queens, and that the payment recipient was in Manhattan. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering, with the sentencing phase now underway.
The sentencing guidelines suggest that Gupta could face a prison term ranging from 235 to 293 months. The final sentence will be determined by Judge Marrero after reviewing a Presentence Investigation Report. Gupta, a citizen of India, acknowledged in court that his guilty plea might lead to his removal from the US, as mandated for non-citizens convicted of such crimes.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 29 at 10 a.m.
