American authorities have charged a suspect in California following a cross-border investigation into death threats against a Canadian-based extortion target of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in California, Jasmeet Singh made repeated calls threatening a victim who moved to Canada after helping Indian law enforcement identify and arrest two suspected blackmailers in that country.
A criminal complaint obtained by CBC News says the victim — called Victim 1 in the court documents — contacted RCMP when Singh allegedly sent a photograph of the victim’s vehicle “parked outside of his residence.”
“Singh told Victim 1 that ‘…you’re going to die in Canada,'” says the complaint, which was written by FBI agent Brian Toy.
“I believe that Singh sent this photo to reinforce that the threat he was making to Victim 1 was backed up by the ability to carry out the threat,” the complaint adds.
“In particular, the photo is circumstantial proof that, although Singh said he was in the United States, Singh has associates in Canada who were able to obtain a photo of Victim 1’s vehicle.”
‘Terror, violence and intimidation’
The 14-page criminal complaint, charging Singh with interstate communication of threats of violence, was filed at the end of November in the Eastern District of California.
The allegations are the latest in a series of incidents linking a wave of extortion-related violence in Canadian communities to the Bishnoi gang — which was listed as a terrorist entity accused of “terror, violence and intimidation” in September by the federal government
The case provides a window into the complexities of the challenges facing investigators trying to unravel a chain of events spanning continents, courts and communications devices.
Toy’s affidavit doesn’t specify the Canadian city where the victim relocated, except to say they live in the Pacific time zone, which means it’s in British Columbia.
According to the U.S. court documents, Toy works as a special agent with the FBI’s Sacremento office, which is investigating a number of criminal activities linked to the Bishnoi gang.
Gang leader Lawrence is accused of running the outfit from behind bars in India.
Toy says the FBI started looking into Singh after they were approached by the RCMP, who were contacted by the victim following a string of threats in May 2024.
The victim’s dealings with the Bishnoi gang allegedly date back to July 2022, when they lived in India and befriended a woman and her associate who blackmailed the victim “by threatening to make rape allegations” unless they paid the equivalent of $239,000 US.
The victim refused to pay, and “later received a phone call from local Indian police” about the rape allegations, which they were able to refute with copies of messages from the blackmailers.
“Indian police requested that Victim 1 arrange to meet with [the] blackmailers with a promise of payment,” the complaint reads.
“As a result of this meeting Indian authorities arrested [the accused blackmailers.] After the arrests Victim 1 began receiving threats in India.”
The caller who threatened the victim while they were still in India said they calling from “the Lawrence Group” — a statement Toy claims he believes meant the threats were made on behalf of the Bishnoi gang.
‘Let’s see if the police can save you’
The victim moved to Canada in January 2024 — and the two alleged blackmailers were officially charged in court in India on May 27, 2024.
On the same day, the victim received multiple threats through a WhatsApp phone number from a caller who identified himself as “Lucky Hoshiarpur” — an alleged reference to the Hoshiarpur region of India where investigators later learned Singh comes from.
The victim received 10 communications over the course of two hours — including a missed call, a voice message and video call, which they used to take a screen grab of the caller.
“Singh told Victim 1 the colour and make of the vehicle that Victim 1 drives, stating ‘do you not roam around in a white Range Rover over there?'” Toy writes.
“Later that same day, Singh reinforced his threats (and his ability to carry them out) by sending Victim 1 a photo of Victim 1’s car parked across the street from Victim 1’s residence.”
The court documents say “investigators in Canada reviewed the photo and concluded that the photo was recent based upon the foliage of the trees in the photo.”
The criminal complaint also includes the transcript of a voice message left the same day.
“Look, that’s your car right? Sister-[f–ker], live there, no matter where you live, you’re going to die anyways. If we don’t kill you today, we’ll kill you in a week, get yourself ready,” the message says.
“Go make as many complaints as you want, you pussy. You act like you’re all about the police, let’s see if the police can save you.”
‘If I go, they will kill me’
The victim allegedly gave RCMP a statement about the impact of the calls.
“I want to go to India. How will I go there, tell me? I have a lot of danger. How can I go? … Because I do have fear. If I go, they will kill me.”
According to the court documents, Canadian law enforcement identified a Facebook account belonging to Singh with photos that appear to match the individual caught in the WhatsApp screen grab of the threats.
The FBI interviewed Singh in California August 2024.
“During the interview, agents took a photo of Singh,” Toy writes. “Based on the photo, I believe that Singh is ‘Lucky Hoshiarpur’ who threatened Victim 1 on May 27, 2024, because they appear to be the same person.”
Immigration documents say Singh entered the United States in April 2023, coming from the district of Hoshiarpur in the state of Punjab.
Although Toy says Singh did not “directly mention” the Bishnoi group in his calls, the FBI agent adds that the threats made regarding the victim’s co-operation with police likely indicate his connection to the gang.
Singh is currently in custody awaiting indictment. He was detained because of flight risk and danger to the community. A hearing is set for Thursday.
He faces a maximum penalty of 10 or more years in prison if found guilty.
Extortion threats from prison
The allegations come on the heels of recent revelations about another high-profile case in B.C. involving a victim targeted by the Bishnoi gang.
In October, Abjeet Kingra was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to arson and firearms charges related to a September 2024 attack at the home of Punjabi musician AP Dhillon — carried out at the behest of the gang.
A CBC News investigation has learned an accused extortionist in B.C. was allegedly in Canada on an expired student visa. As Jason Proctor reports, court exhibits included video of a violent attack on Punjabi musician AP Dhillon’s home on Vancouver Island, and provide a glimpse into the world of the transnational Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Prosecutors claimed Kingra and co-accused Vikram Sharma were contracted by the Bishnoi gang to burn Dhillon’s vehicles and fire bullets into his home.
The pair have since been charged in another extortion-related incident in Surrey in August 2024.
Sharma fled to India after the Dhillon attack. Both he and Kingra came to Canada on student visas. It’s unknown how they came into the employ of the Bishnoi gang.
In this video, security cameras capture a man alleged to be Vikram Sharma as he pours gasoline on two vehicles parked at Punjabi singer AP Dhillon’s house in September 2024 before setting the cars on fire. Sharma’s co-accused Abjeet Kingra is then seen stepping forward and firing 14 rounds into Dhillon’s Colwood, B.C., house. Sharma has since fled to India. Kingra is serving a six-year sentence.
The complaint against Singh also describes another case investigated by the Sacremento field office in December 2023, in which Lawrence Bishnoi himself contacted an extortion victim whose vehicle was later shot up in front of their home.
“During the call, Lawrence verified his identify by turning on the video function for the call. The victim took screen shots of that portion of the call which confirmed that Lawrence Bishnoi was the person behind the extortionate threats.” Toy writes.
“Investigators believe Lawrence Bishnoi is able to gain access to contraband cellphones and oversee the criminal activities of [the Bishnoi gang] despite Indian authorities placing him in a form of custodial confinement.”
None of the allegations against Singh have been proven in court.
