Tracy, CA – Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 51, of Tracy, has admitted his role in a chilling murder-for-hire conspiracy, according to court documents unsealed today. The confession, accepted by Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez, reveals a twisted plot involving planned assaults, robbery, and a cold-blooded order to make a victim ‘disappear.’
The scheme, hatched with co-defendants Jagninder Singh Boparai, 49, of Manteca, and Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 47, of Dublin, centered around hiring a hitman – who turned out to be a confidential informant for the FBI. Starting in February 2023, the trio repeatedly met with the informant at a Starbucks in Manteca, initially discussing an assault on “Victim 1” as a ‘test’ of the informant’s capabilities. Boparai even offered $6,000 for the assault, later providing a $1,000 down payment and accepting a staged photo as ‘proof’ of completion.
The plot quickly escalated. In March 2023, the conspirators turned their attention to “Victim 2.” Sandhu provided the victim’s address, and Boparai instructed the informant to ensure Victim 2 vanished completely, leaving no trace. He even requested and received a Facebook profile picture of the target. A $10,000 down payment was offered for the murder, with specific instructions to dispose of the body in Mexico. The audacity of the plan was underscored when Sandhu and Birla, while claiming Boparai was out of town, were observed by surveillance meeting the informant in a Manteca parking lot – with Boparai conveniently present in the same lot.
The meeting in the parking lot was particularly damning. Sandhu and Birla explicitly instructed the informant to carry out the murder and transport the remains across the border. They attempted to create an alibi, but surveillance footage exposed their deception. All three defendants – Sandhu, Boparai, and Birla – were arrested on March 31, 2023, and remain in federal custody. This wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment decision; it was a calculated, multi-stage conspiracy with a clear intent to commit violence.
Boparai previously pleaded guilty on January 23, 2025, and is scheduled for sentencing on August 7, 2025. Sandhu’s sentencing is slated for November 13, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Both Sandhu and Boparai face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Birla is currently scheduled for a status conference on October 23, 2025, and faces similar penalties if convicted. The investigation was a massive collaborative effort involving the FBI, ATF, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and numerous local law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Kevin Khasigian are leading the prosecution. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dark underbelly of crime and the lengths to which individuals will go for profit or personal gain. The sentencing will undoubtedly send a message to those considering similar acts of violence: you will be caught, and you will be held accountable.”
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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