FBI takes down Northern California man in shocking murder-for-hire plot

Yahoo

7 days ago

(FOX40.COM) — One of three people connected to a murder-for-hire plot in Northern California pleaded guilty on Friday for conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities as part of the plan to kill someone, according to the United States Department of Justice.•Video Above: How to report a public safety threat
Court documents revealed that Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 51, of Tracy, conspired with Jagninder Singh Boparai, 49, of Manteca, and Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 47, of Dublin, to murder someone referred to as Victim 2. In February 2023, the three of them repeatedly met with a person they believed to be a hitman at a Starbucks in Manteca.
Guest becomes a millionaire after massive win at a Northern California casino
Unbeknownst to Sandhu and his co-defendants, the hitman was a confidential informant working for the FBI, according to the DOJ. On Feb. 17, 2024, Boparai told the supposed hitman that the first job involved the assault of someone referred to as Victim 1, and once he proved his trustworthiness, he would be given another job.
The following day, the DOJ said Boparai met the confidential informant again and offered to pay $6,000 for the assault of Victim 1. In March 2023, in the presence of Birla and another individual, Boparai met with the confidential informant, and Boparai gave the confidential informant $1,000 as a down payment for the assault.
Sacramento police arrest teen for murder after two-month investigation
Shortly after, the confidential informant showed Boparai a staged photo of Victim 1 lying on the ground covered in bruises, dirt, and blood to indicate the assault had occurred. Boparai said he liked the photo and told the confidential informant that he had two other 'jobs,' one of which involved robbing a business, and the other involved making a person 'disappear.'
According to court documents, after what Boparai thought was a successful assault on Victim 1, he met with the confidential informant to pay him $10,000 as a down payment for the murder of Victim 2. Sandhu provided Victim 2's address, and Boparai instructed the confidential informant that Victim 2 must disappear without any evidence remaining.
Sacramento International Airport sets all-time passenger record, busiest month in history
Boparai then made two calls to Birla asking for Victim 2's Facebook profile. Boparai subsequently received a Facebook profile picture of Victim 2, which he showed to the confidential informant, according to the DOJ.
On March 24, 2023, Sandhu and Birla met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Manteca. Sandhu and Birla claimed that Boparai was out of town, but Boparai was observed by surveillance remaining in a car in the same parking lot. The DOJ said Sandhu and Birla instructed the confidential informant to kill Victim 2 and take Victim 2's remains to Mexico in a suitcase.
All three defendants were arrested on March 31, 2023, and are currently in federal custody. On Friday, Sandhu pleaded guilty. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13 and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Boparai pleaded guilty for his role in the offense on Jan. 23, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7. He faces the same penalties as Sandhu. Birla, however, is facing allegations. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.