STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Federal authorities arrested three Staten Island men accused of attempting to pay a juror $100,000 to deliver a not guilty verdict in the upcoming narcotics trafficking trial of former heavyweight boxer Goran Gojic in Brooklyn, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York.
Mustafa Fteja, 54; Valmir Krasniqi, 35, and Afrim Kupa, 52, face charges of corruptly attempting to influence a juror and obstructing the administration of justice. The alleged scheme unfolded between Nov. 13 and Nov. 16, days before the trial was set to begin on Monday, Nov. 17.
Phone records reviewed by the FBI show that Krasniqi called Fteja shortly before Fteja contacted the juror multiple times. Krasniqi and Fteja work together in Brooklyn, according to the complaint. It is unknown how the defendants were able to come in contact with the juror, whose name does not appear in court documents.
Two days later, on Nov. 15, Fteja met with the juror again and increased the offer to between $50,000 and $100,000. Fteja indicated the payment would come from individuals other than himself, according to the affidavit.
Recorded conversations between Fteja and Krasniqi on Nov. 15 captured the two men discussing arrangements to pay the juror for a not guilty verdict. Krasniqi told Fteja he would arrange a meeting the next day with “Afrim,” identified as Afrim Kupa, authorities say.
On Nov. 16, FBI agents observed all three defendants meet at Krasniqi’s Dongan Hills home. Agents identified their vehicles parked outside. Fteja and Kupa were recognized from law enforcement databases.
According to the FBI, recordings of that meeting captured the defendants discussing the payment plan. During the conversation, Kupa stated the payment would be in cash and confirmed the amount as $100,000. Fteja said he would relay the information to the juror, while Krasniqi emphasized “this has to be done, right?”
The defendants conversed in both Albanian and English during the recorded conversations, according to the FBI. An FBI linguist translated the Albanian portions.
Prosecutors say after his boxing career, Gojic helped organize a large-scale operation smuggling cocaine from South America to Europe and the United States. Crews on cargo ships allegedly loaded the drugs from speedboats and hid them in shipping containers, according to authorities.
Between February and June 2019, authorities seized nearly 20,000 kilograms of cocaine from three shipments arriving in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, including about 18,000 kilograms in the final Philadelphia seizure.
The trial has now delayed for 30 days, and a new jury will be anonymous, prosecutors said.
Fteja was released on a $150,000 bond. Krasniqi and Kupa were ordered detained.
Attorneys for the three defendants could not immediately be reached for comment.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.