DOWNTOWN – THREE STATEN ISLAND MEN HAVE now pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to attempting to bribe a juror in a cocaine trafficking trial, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. announced on Tuesday.
Afrim Kupa, 53, pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice on May 5. Two co-defendants, Mustafa Fteja, 54, and Valmir Krasniqi, 35, pled guilty on Feb. 19 and March 4. All face up to 20 years in prison.
The bribery relates to the ongoing trial of Montenegrin boxer Goran Gogic, who is facing life in prison. Gogic is accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine on cargo ships, allegedly coordinating with producers, ship crews and port workers to move the drugs from Colombia to Europe via the U.S. American law enforcement seized three shipments totaling nearly 20,000 kilograms of cocaine.
Authorities moved quickly to make the arrests. Gogic’s trial was originally set for Nov. 17. On Nov. 3 and Nov. 5, a jury was selected. The three conspirators then met on Nov. 13, when Kupa told Fteja that he and others wanted Fteja to pay a specific juror to vote not guilty. On Nov. 15, Fteja offered that juror up to $100,000.
On Nov. 16, the three met again at Krasniqi’s home. Kupa there indicated that the juror would indeed receive the cash. Finally, on Nov. 17, Kupa and Krasniqi were arrested.
At the time of arrest, authorities found that Kupa had a document listing the juror’s name, home address and workplace. Krasniqi had a digital photograph of the juror that he had texted to Fteja, in furtherance of the scheme.
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