One convicted, one acquitted in alleged Lexington murder for hire plot over unpaid debts
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One man was convicted and another was acquitted last week after a federal jury in Lexington heard evidence of an alleged murder for hire and kidnapping plot.
A man known as John Sadiqullah, though his actual first name is not known, was found guilty of being involved in a conspiracy to kidnap a man and being involved in a murder for hire conspiracy, according to a release from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
The other man at trial in the case, Abdul Hadi, was acquitted of the charges, according to court records.
Sadiqullah, Hadi and former Lexington imam Mahmoud Shaker Shalash were accused of having an understanding with a man who offered to kidnap, or potentially kill, a man who owed them money, according to court records. The three did not know that the man offering to commit the crimes was actually working with law enforcement as an informant.
Shalash pleaded guilty in January to two counts of money laundering and one count of being part of a conspiracy to kidnap someone, according to court records. As part of his plea agreement he avoided a potential life sentence and was instead recommended to be sentenced to four years and three months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He is also expected to pay a fine of $20,000, according to court records.
The victim, Sadiqullah and Hadi are all originally from Afghanistan. Hadi and Sadiqullah were able to move to the United States after working with U.S. military in the region.
Sadiqullah and Hadi drove taxis for a Lexington business owned by the victim in the case, their attorneys said. Over time, the two men began to trust the victim and loaned him money. Sadiqullah loaned him $20,000 and Hadi loaned about $30,000, their attorneys said.
During opening arguments of their trial, Hadi and Sadiqullah’s attorneys argued that the men were angry at the victim for taking their money, but had made no agreements to harm him.
Federal prosecutors argued that the two men eventually followed the victim to his Lexington business and called the federal informant to tell him to come “take care of him.”
Sadiqullah is set to be sentenced on June 11, 2020. He could face up to life in prison.
