Washington, Feb 14 (NationPress) Nikhil Gupta appeared in a federal courtroom in Manhattan, where he acknowledged that in 2023, he conspired to pay $15,000 to have a Sikh separatist leader killed in New York. This admission has now placed him at risk of facing up to 40 years in a U.S. federal prison.

In front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in the Southern District of New York, the 54-year-old Indian national entered a guilty plea to three charges: Conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“In the spring of 2023, I conspired with another individual to arrange for the murder of someone in the United States,” Gupta stated under oath. He further confessed that he “transferred $15,000 in cash through a cellular phone to another person in the United States.”

During the proceedings, Gupta affirmed that he was aware the target was located in New York — specifically in Queens, as he mentioned to the court — and that the recipient of the funds was situated in Manhattan.

Judge Netburn advised that District Judge Victor Marrero accept the plea, which the district court later confirmed. Sentencing is set for May 29, 2026.

Under federal statutes, Gupta faces a maximum penalty of 10 years each for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire, along with up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering — totaling a potential maximum of 40 years. However, federal sentencing does not necessarily default to the maximum penalties. Courts utilize the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines to suggest a recommended range before evaluating broader statutory factors.

In a Pimentel letter submitted prior to the plea, prosecutors estimated Gupta’s advisory Guidelines range to be between 235 to 293 months, or about 19½ to 24½ years in prison. This estimation was based on the offense level relevant to solicitation of murder, which was heightened due to the monetary incentive offered for the killing.

Additionally, prosecutors included a two-level obstruction enhancement related to what they described as materially false statements in a previous sworn declaration, while noting that Gupta may receive credit for pleading guilty.

The court clarified during the plea hearing that these Guidelines calculations are advisory, and the final sentence will be decided by Judge Marrero after reviewing a Presentence Investigation Report from the U.S. Probation Office. Under federal law, the sentencing judge must consider factors such as the severity of the crime, deterrence, public safety, and the necessity to prevent unwarranted disparities.

Prosecutors indicated that had the case proceeded to trial, they would have introduced evidence from a confidential informant who was solicited to facilitate the murder, testimony from an undercover officer posing as a hitman, recorded WhatsApp communications, cellphone evidence, and video documentation of the $15,000 payment made in New York.

The indictment claimed that Gupta collaborated with other individuals, including a co-defendant associated with India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which oversees the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to orchestrate the assassination of a New York-based Sikh political activist advocating for Khalistan.

Gupta confirmed in court that he is a citizen of India and recognized that his guilty plea would likely lead to his removal from the United States. The government’s sentencing letter points out that removal is presumptively mandatory under federal immigration law.

By entering a guilty plea, Gupta sidestepped what would have been a diplomatically delicate trial in Manhattan federal court involving charges of foreign-directed violence on American soil. The critical question now is not whether he is guilty — that has been established — but how long he will be incarcerated.

Sentencing on May 29 will determine that.