A Dix Hills man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, July 29, after being indicted on six counts of conspiracy and six counts of criminal solicitation for hatching a plot to hire a hitman to kidnap and murder a former business associate, according to Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
Navdeep Singh, 48, was arraigned on June 8 on charges of second-degree conspiracy and second-degree criminal solicitation. The DA said Singh’s bail was set at $1 million cash, $2 million bond, and $5 million partially secured bond, and he was ordered to surrender his passport. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison, according to Donnelly.
According to the charges, Donnelly said between May 29 and June 3, Singh contacted and met with an unidentified co-conspirator multiple times about planning to kidnap and kill a man with whom he was engaged in extensive civil litigation.
Donnelly said the victim knew Singh for several years as part of ongoing business dealings with his construction company and has been engaged in litigation with Singh’s company, Gravity Construction Corp., for about two years after he took Singh’s company off a job he was managing.
Singh allegedly offered the would-be hitman $100,000 and 10 acres of land in India if he kidnapped the victim, took him out of the state, tortured him, extorted him for millions of dollars and eventually killed him, according to the DA.
Singh allegedly took photos of the victim’s home and vehicle and sent them to the hired assassin to help him identify the victim, Donnelly said.
Donnelly said he also allegedly purchased multiple burner phones for the intended solicitor to avoid law enforcement detection and made a down payment of $7,000 to the man during a meeting about the plot.
Singh was arrested in Manhasset on June 7 after he drove around again near the victim’s home.
“A years-long dispute between business rivals took a disturbing turn when this defendant allegedly hired a hitman to kidnap and dispose of his former associate,” Donnelly said.
“Navdeep Singh set the times and the places, meeting with his would-be hitman, providing descriptions, photos, and instructions to extort and murder his intended victim,” the DA said.
