Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 51, of Tracy, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder-for-hire, Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced. Prosecutors said Sandhu, along with Jagninder Singh Boparai, 49, of Manteca, and Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 47, of Dublin, planned to kill a person identified as Victim 2. The group met at a Starbucks in Manteca in February 2023 to hire what they thought was a hitman, who was actually an FBI informant. The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local agencies, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
An informant gained Boparai’s trust with a staged photo showing a supposed assault victim, after which Boparai mentioned other “jobs,” including a robbery and making someone “disappear.” In March 2023, Sandhu and Birla, in Boparai’s absence, gave the informant Victim 2’s address and Facebook profile, instructing that the victim be killed and their remains transported to Mexico in a suitcase. The three were arrested on March 31, 2023. Boparai pleaded guilty on January 23, and is scheduled for sentencing on August 7. Sandhu’s sentencing is set for November 13, with a possible penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, while Birla’s case continues with a status conference on October 23, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Birla remains legally innocent unless proven guilty. The cases of Boparai and Sandhu show the consequences of serious criminal allegations. Law enforcement agencies coordinated to prevent the crimes, and the judicial process in Northern California is ongoing, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
