Federal immigration authorities have arrested a Guyanese man in Queens who is wanted in his home country in connection with a 2015 murder, officials said.
Kanand Ojha, 45, is accused of killing Nephi Noel in Georgetown, Guyana’s capital, before fleeing to the United States about a week later, according to a Monday news release from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Authorities located Ojha in Long Island City on Sept. 8. He was taken into custody by the US Marshals Service’s New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, a specialized team that includes agents from ICE and Homeland Security Investigations.
Ojha had entered the United States legally through Kennedy Airport. His lawful immigration status was later revoked after officials discovered that he was wanted in Guyana and faced an outstanding arrest warrant, authorities said.
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A suspected accomplice in the killing was convicted of manslaughter and received a 20-year prison sentence in 2017, according to the ICE release.
“New Yorkers are safer today because this accused murderer is no longer free to roam our neighborhoods,” said Kenneth Genalo, director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations for the New York City Field Office.
Genalo added that officials who block cooperation between immigration authorities and law enforcement partners “place politics ahead of safety and allow dangerous fugitives to embed themselves within our communities.” His comments referred to New York City policies limiting cooperation between local agencies and ICE.
