The sentencing of New York-based Guyanese businessman Ed Ahmad has been further postponed to April 25, 2016 following a request by his lawyer.
Ahmad was to have been sentenced on several dates last year but these were deferred after various requests by his lawyer Steven Kartagener. His most recent sentencing date was March 21st, 2016.
Ahmad had entered a guilty plea in October, 2012 to mortgage fraud conspiracy in New York and at that point faced up to 10 years in jail and US$15m in fines and restitution. Sentencing was apparently deferred for him to be a cooperating witness in several cases brought by the US government against public officials.
United States Attorney Loretta E. Lynch in a letter in August 2015 to Judge Dora L Irizarry requested that the court order the United States probation department to begin preparation for the Presentence Investigation Report. Several sentencing dates were set since then.
In his latest letter to the judge of March 3, 2016 seen by Stabroek News, Kartagener said that his post-surgical healing from total hip replacement surgery had not progressed as quickly as he had hoped for and he is still doing intense physical therapy. He therefore applied for a further postponement.
Kartagener’s request has been granted and sentencing is now set for April 25th at 10 am in Courtroom 4 A South, according to a court document seen by Stabroek News.
There is much local interest in Ahmad’s case because of his close relationship with former President Bharrat Jagdeo and his varied business interests here.
