A California pizza restaurant is at the center of a federal drug case after authorities accused a man of using the Round Table Pizza location to traffic large amounts of methamphetamine.
Kawal Preet Singh, a 50-year-old Indian national who authorities say was living illegally in the United States, was indicted Thursday on federal drug and firearm charges. Investigators allegedly found more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine, three firearms and over $10,000 in cash.
According to federal prosecutors, Singh ran the Round Table Pizza restaurant in Dinuba, a Tulare County city roughly 30 miles southeast of Fresno, and used the business as part of an operation to distribute substantial quantities of meth.
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Round Table Pizza received 71 price complaints per 1,000 reviews, according to findings shared with News Outlet. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Singh entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment Thursday. He is not currently in custody, The Fresno Bee reported.
The Dinuba Round Table Pizza location is listed on Google as permanently closed.
“The employee involved in the reported incident had worked at this location for approximately one and a half months,” the company told GV Wire.
Erin Mandzik, senior director of corporate communications for FAT Brands, Round Table Pizza’s parent company, told The Fresno Bee that the restaurant was independently owned and operated.
Mandzik said the local owners had no knowledge of the alleged illegal activity before it came to light and were fully cooperating with authorities, according to the newspaper.
News Outlet reached out to Round Table Pizza seeking additional information about Singh’s role, the restaurant’s ownership and the decision to permanently close the location.
Federal agents allegedly seized more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine while searching Kawal Preet Singh’s home, vehicle and business. (United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California)
Federal agents searched Singh’s home and the restaurant Aug. 18 as part of an investigation into Indian organized crime in California’s Central Valley, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Investigators allegedly found approximately 13.8 kilograms, or more than 30 pounds, of suspected methamphetamine at Singh’s home, The Fresno Bee reported.
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Federal agents allegedly seized three firearms while searching Kawal Preet Singh’s home and business, prosecutors said. (United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California)
Another roughly 4.9 kilograms, or nearly 11 pounds, was allegedly packed into five clear plastic bags inside Singh’s Hyundai Sonata parked at the restaurant, according to the newspaper.
Agents also seized a semiautomatic handgun and $11,800 in cash, the outlet reported.
Photographs released by the Justice Department showed two handguns allegedly seized during the investigation, including one with a teal-colored frame. Another image showed clear plastic bags containing a crystalline substance authorities identified as methamphetamine.
A federal grand jury charged Singh with distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The Round Table Pizza restaurant in Dinuba, California, is listed as permanently closed on Google. (Google Maps)
The investigation reportedly began with a May tip about a suspected narcotics trafficker operating in Fresno and distributing controlled substances.
Investigators later received information about a trafficker known as “Camy,” who was described as a Sikh Indian man involved in long-haul trucking, according to court documents cited by The Fresno Bee.
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“The information identified the narcotics trafficker as ‘Camy’ and described him as a Sikh Indian male involved in long-haul trucking,” an FBI affidavit said, according to the outlet. “The suspect worked with a network of other Sikh Indian truck drivers to transport narcotics.”
Investigators developed evidence indicating that a network of truck drivers transported hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Mexico into the United States for an unidentified Mexican cartel, The Fresno Bee reported. Singh has not been charged with a cocaine-related crime.
The Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force later identified Singh as a subject of the investigation, federal prosecutors said.
Search warrants signed Aug. 13 covered Singh, his home and the Dinuba restaurant, according to The Fresno Bee. Five days later, agents allegedly watched Singh leave the restaurant and drive to his home before searching both properties.
Singh allegedly told investigators he had not sold methamphetamine for approximately two months and claimed he was storing the drugs for a friend, according to the outlet.
Singh faces at least 10 years in federal prison if convicted of the drug charges. The firearm count could add at least five more years behind bars.
Prosecutors emphasized that the charges are allegations and that Singh is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Singh’s next federal court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4.
