New York-based Guyanese businessman, Ed Ahmad will now be sentenced on November 15 for mortgage fraud conspiracy.
In a letter dated August 24 to New York Judge, Dora Irizarry, Steven Kartagener sought the deferral from September 14, 2016 because of the postponement of the sentencing of former New York State Senator John Sampson to September 22, 2016. Ahmad was a key witness in the Sampson trial and is hoping to benefit from a sentence reduction once the extent of his co-operation is made known. The judge on Friday granted approval for sentencing on November 15, at 10 am.
Kartagener had in May this year sought the deferral of sentencing to September 14 to benefit from Sampson’s sentencing. In that earlier letter, he had said, “By granting this adjournment, the Court would be permitting (Ahmad) to get the benefit (of) his literally hundreds of hours served as a cooperator, which will undoubtedly be chronicled at length in the government’s anticipated 5K1 letter…”
The 5K1 letter is usually filed by the US Government when a defendant provides substantial assistance in the solving of other cases and the Government then seeks a reduction in the sentence.
The postponement to November is the seventh granted to Ahmad. The first postponement from January 15, 2016 to February 12, 2016 was a result of an oversight by a probation officer.
The other adjournments from February 12 to March 4 to March 21, April 25 to June 10 and June 10 to September 14 were as a result of various applications by counsel for Ahmad.
Ahmad’s case has attracted great interest in Guyana because of his close ties to former president Bharrat Jagdeo. Ahmad had shipped a container of goods to Jagdeo at State House and many questions were asked about this.
