
NEW DELHI: By admitting to murder-for-hire and money laundering charges, Indian national Nikhil Gupta may have secured a substantial reduction in the 40-year maximum sentence the charges entail through an "acceptance of responsibility" credit. The guilty plea not only reduces his jail-time but also helps him avoid a high-profile trial, besides limiting his trial testimony.
Gupta, who has been at a Brooklyn detention centre since his 2024 extradition from Prague, has pleaded guilty before US magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn on three counts: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced by US district judge Victor Marrero on May 29, 2026, according to a statement by FBI and DEA.