>Y: Yeah, he was not convicted of that

2021-02-08T14:55:26Z

Yeah, he was not convicted of that

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'''Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa''' (born c. 1962) is an [[Indian people|Indian]]-[[Americans|American]] [[Sikh]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Rise and Fall of a Gas Czar| url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/rise-fall-gas-czar-article-1.769732 | location=New York | work=Daily News|date=13 July 1997|access-date=27 February 2015}}</ref> former gas station magnate, who was convicted of [[racketeering]] and multiple [[murder]]s. In an attempt to corner the local market on [[gas station]]s, Dhinsa defrauded customers, [[Tax avoidance and tax evasion|evaded taxes]], committed at least two murders, and is believed to have ordered eight others. He is serving a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release in a federal prison.

==Early life==
Dhinsa was born a [[Sikh]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jan/05us.htm|date=5 January 1999 |title= Rags-to-riches Sikh businessman charged with murder |publisher= Rediff.com}}</ref> in Punjab, India, and emigrated to [[the Bronx]] in 1982. He worked as a car-wash attendant until he was able to purchase a filling station of his own. As business improved, Dhinsa's holding company, Citygas Gasoline Corp <ref>[http://appsext8.dos.state.ny.us/corp_public/CORPSEARCH.ENTITY_INFORMATION?p_nameid=1580441&p_corpid=1479346&p_entity_name=citygas&p_name_type=%25&p_search_type=BEGINS&p_srch_results_page=0 Entity Information for Citygas Gasoline Corp.]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, New York State Department of State Division of Corporations</ref> "City Gas" opened more stations in [[New York (state)|New York]], [[New Jersey]], and [[Pennsylvania]]. At its height, City Gas had 51 locations and 300 employees, with annual revenues of $100 million.<ref>{{cite news|title=Filling Stations' Owner Held in Fraud and Killings|date=9 July 1997|work=The New York Times|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/09/nyregion/filling-stations-owner-held-in-fraud-and-killings.html?pagewanted=all | first=David M. | last=Herszenhorn | access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref>

==Criminal activities==
When Dhinsa leased his first gas station in 1984, neighborhood residents were illegally using the lot to park their cars. According to a witness, Dhinsa smashed every windshield with a [[baseball bat]]. The cars were moved, and the gas station became profitable.<ref name=barry>{{cite news|work=The New York Times|date=10 July 1997|author=Dan Barry|title=Police Say Man Stopped at Nothing for Gasoline Empire|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/10/nyregion/police-say-man-stopped-at-nothing-for-gasoline-empire.html}}</ref>

As he expanded his business, Dhinsa modified gas pumps, evaded taxes on gasoline bought in bulk, and kept his employees silent with death threats. He was arrested in 1990 on suspicion of kidnapping, robbery, and assault, but served only 90 days by pleading guilty to a weapons charge.<ref name=barry/><ref name=tribune>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99feb25/world.htm#6|title=Jury awards life term to Dhinsa|date=11 March 1999|work=The Tribune}}</ref> In 1993, he was convicted of weapons charges again and served a year in prison.<ref name=barry/>

In July 1995, Dhinsa ordered associates to kidnap an employee he suspected of stealing. When the victim's brother came looking for him in early 1997, Dhinsa ordered his murder. This killing was reported to police by several residents of the neighborhood. Police discovered that Dhinsa's brother Gurdip, who had fled to India to avoid prosecution for a 1991 murder, was back in the U.S. and was working at City Gas. On May 16, 1997, police surrounded the City Gas headquarters and arrested three employees, including Gurdip. When Gurmeet Dhinsa arrived at the scene, he was held for questioning and released. Although Dhinsa was released, a task force was formed to look into his operation, including the investigation of several disappearances and unsolved homicides.<ref name=barry/> The kidnapped employee was never found.<ref>{{cite news|work=The New York Times|title=Owner of Gas Station Chain is Described as Killer in Trial|date=5 January 1999|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D06EFDB143EF936A35752C0A96F958260}}</ref>

On July 1, 1997, police were called by a man who claimed Dhinsa had threatened him and his family. Later that day, investigators stopped Dhinsa and searched the car he was driving. When Dhinsa opened the trunk, the police discovered circuit boards for gas pumps.<ref name=appeal>This evidence, along with other evidence obtained from Dhinsa's car, was suppressed during pretrial motions due to doubts of [[probable cause]]. Dhinsa claimed that the traffic stop was unconstitutional, and that the seizure of his car six days later constituted an unreasonable search. This decision was overturned before trial; see "Docket No. 98-1605" from U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.</ref>

==Arrest and trial==
Police arrested Dhinsa on 7 July 1997. At the same time, Dhinsa's car was seized and inventoried. Evidence of gas pump tampering, including Department of Consumer Affairs metal seals and inspection stickers, was found during the search.<ref name=appeal/>

On 22 August 1997, Dhinsa was indicted by a grand jury on 29 counts including racketeering, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and witness intimidation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=2nd&navby=case&no=981605|publisher=U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals|title=Docket No. 98-1605|date=December 1998}}</ref>

Dhinsa was represented by high-profile defense attorney [[Gerald Shargel]], but was found guilty of murder and racketeering after an eight-week trial. Although the prosecution sought the [[Capital punishment in the United States|death penalty]], the jury turned down the request and Dhinsa was sentenced to [[life imprisonment]] without the possibility of [[parole]].<ref name=tribune/> In addition, Dhinsa was forced to pay $1.75 million in restitution and fines—$625,000 to the family of each victim as well as a separate $500,000 fine to the city—and his businesses were auctioned by the government to cover civil fines.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9504E4D91639F934A25753C1A96F958260|title=Businessman Is Fined In Two Contract Killings|work=The New York Times|date=17 October 1999}}</ref>

Dhinsa is currently serving a life sentence at [[Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill|FCI Schuylkill]].<ref>[https://www.bop.gov/mobile/find_inmate/index.jsp#inmate_results 53546053] - BOP Find an inmate(07/21/2018)</ref>

== Television ==
The story of the police investigation and prosecution of Dhinsa is the subject of an episode of [[The FBI Files]] entitled "Deadly Business" [[List of The FBI Files episodes|(Season 3, Episode 9)]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhinsa, Gurmeet Singh}}
[[Category:Indian Sikhs]]
[[Category:American Sikhs]]
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment]]
[[Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government]]
[[Category:Indian people imprisoned abroad]]
[[Category:People convicted of murder by the United States federal government]]
[[Category:People convicted of racketeering]]
[[Category:Indian people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:American people of Punjabi descent]]
[[Category:People from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]

Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa - Revision history

>Y: Yeah, he was not convicted of that