Long Island man accused of trying to hire hitman to kidnap, torture, kill a former business associate
A Long Island man allegedly plotted to hire a hitman to kidnap, torture and kill a former business associate, prosecutors said Monday.
Navdeep Singh, 48, of Dix Hills, faces conspiracy and criminal solicitation charges. Prosecutors say he promised the person he believed was a hitman $100,000 and 10 acres of land to kidnap the victim, take him out of state, torture him, extort him for millions, and eventually kill him.
Prosecutors say Singh was in a lengthy civil lawsuit with a former business associate that Singh now wanted killed. Singh's company, Gravity Construction Corp., had allegedly been removed from a job the alleged victim of the plot had been managing.
"We saved a man's life this weekend"
Police allege Singh was in touch with another co-conspirator repeatedly from May 29 to June 3 to discuss the alleged plot. Some of the details are disturbing.
"He wanted the victim dead, but not just dead. He wanted him dismembered," Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said. "We saved a man's life this weekend."
Prosecutors say Singh went so far as to take pictures of the victim's home and vehicle and sent them to the would-be hitman. They also allege he bought a number of burner phones, and paid the would-be hitman a $7,000 down payment during a meeting to discuss the plot. Prosecutors said he wanted the victim decapitated.
"The defendant met with the hitman several times in the past two weeks, handing over $7,000. This was a down payment to end a man's life," Donnelly said.
The DA said Saturday, shortly after Singh again drove past the victim's home and contacted the alleged hitman, he was arrested by Nassau police when pulled into a Whole Food parking lot across from Americana Manhasset.
"That's like watching 'The Sopranos.' It's something you don't figure is going to happen every day, in real life," shopper Jeanette Reed said.
"That is pretty surprising. I have never heard of that kind of crime committed in this area," shopper Don Grieco said.
"It is unfathomable"
"The allegations against Navdeep Singh are deeply disturbing. Because of a years-long dispute with a former business associate and multi-million dollar pending civil litigation between their two construction companies, this defendant allegedly decided to hatch a plot to have his rival kidnapped and murdered," Donnelly said. "Singh was allegedly willing to pay $100,000 and give his would-be hitman 10 acres of land in India to brutally torture, extort, and eventually kill his former colleague. It is unfathomable the lengths to which this defendant was allegedly willing to go."
"This was a very dangerous situation," Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said. "Thanks to the hard work of our District Attorney Squad working in partnership with DA Anne Donnelly and her tenacious prosecutors we prevented what would have been a tragedy: settling a business dispute with murder."
The DA said the multimillionaire intended target lives on Nassau County's North Shore, never dreaming his life was allegedly at stake.
"Singh wanted this man humiliated and afraid in the final moments of his life," Donnelly said.
Singh's bail was set at $1 million in cash or $2 million bond. He's due back in court Tuesday. He faces up to 25 years in prison, if convicted.
