STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Federal authorities arrested three Staten Island men Monday for allegedly attempting to bribe a juror in a major narcotics trafficking trial.
The scheme was reportedly an effort to secure a not guilty verdict for former heavyweight boxer Goran Gogic, who’s accused of orchestrating a vast cocaine smuggling operation.
Here are 5 key takeaways from an original article by the Advance/SILive.com.
1. Three men face federal charges
Mustafa Fteja, 54; Valmir Krasniqi, 35, and Afrim Kupa, 52, were arrested and charged with corruptly attempting to bribe a juror and obstructing the administration of justice.
According to a criminal complaint, the men attempted to pay a juror $100,000 to deliver a not guilty verdict in the narcotics trial of former boxer Goran Gojic. The alleged scheme took place over four days, from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16, just before the trial was scheduled to start.
2. Recorded conversations, surveillance
The federal investigation relied heavily on surveillance, including phone records and recorded conversations. Phone records allegedly show that Krasniqi called Fteja shortly before Fteja contacted the juror.
In subsequent recorded conversations between Fteja and Krasniqi, the two allegedly discussed payment arrangements.
The FBI also recorded a meeting at Krasniqi’s home where all three defendants were present and allegedly discussed the $100,000 cash payment plan in both Albanian and English. An FBI linguist later translated the Albanian portions.
3. Massive international cocaine trafficking trial
The trial at the center of the bribery allegation involves former heavyweight boxer Goran Gojic, who is accused of helping organize an international cocaine trafficking ring.
Prosecutors claim the operation moved large quantities of cocaine from South America to Europe and the United States.
Authorities seized nearly 20,000 kilograms of cocaine from three shipments connected to the operation in 2019, highlighting the high-stakes nature of the trial that the defendants were allegedly trying to corrupt.
4. Escalating plan
The bribery attempt was not a one-time offer but an escalating plan that unfolded over several days. According to the complaint, Fteja first met with the juror and then met with them again two days later, increasing the payment offer to between $50,000 and $100,000.
Fteja allegedly indicated the money would come from other individuals. The scheme culminated in a meeting with all three defendants where they allegedly finalized the $100,000 cash payment plan.
5. Trial delayed, anonymous jury
The alleged jury tampering has directly impacted the judicial process for the narcotics case. As a result of the bribery attempt, Gojic’s trial has been postponed for 30 days.
In a significant move to protect the proceedings from further influence, prosecutors announced that a new, anonymous jury will be selected. Following the arrests, Fteja was released on a $150,000 bond, while Krasniqi and Kupa were ordered to be detained.
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.(Advance/SILive.com | Joseph Ostapiuk)
Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story. It was reviewed and edited by Advance/SILive.com staff.
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