An India-born taxi driver who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for kidnapping and raping a woman at knifepoint in 2011 has been stripped of his U.S. citizenship, the Justice Department announced Monday.
Gurmeet Singh, 55, was found guilty in 2014 in connection with the brutal sexual assault of a young female passenger who had fallen asleep while he was driving her from Williamsburg to her apartment in the East Village in May 2011. The attack occurred just weeks before Singh submitted his application for naturalization.
Prosecutors, citing a victim impact statement read during Singh’s sentencing, said the woman awoke to find the cab driver on top of her with a knife pressed to her throat, demanding to know whether she wanted to live.
Singh then threatened the victim, restrained and gagged her, covered her eyes, removed her clothing and raped her, authorities said. Afterward, she managed to escape from the taxi on foot and flagged down a passerby for help.
The Justice Department said Singh hid the assault during the naturalization process and was granted U.S. citizenship on Oct. 19, 2011.
“Singh unlawfully obtained the privileges of U.S. citizenship by concealing horrible criminal acts,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
“The Department will continue to protect the integrity of the citizenship process and hold accountable those who defraud our immigration system.”
Singh first came to the United States in February 1992 as a temporary visitor on a six-month visa. He remained in the country without authorization for years before a family-sponsored visa petition enabled him to obtain permanent resident status in June 2000.
He is currently incarcerated at Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Ulster County, which also houses “Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz.
An order issued last week by Brooklyn federal judge Nicholas Garaufis gives Singh until Sept. 16 to hand over his citizenship documents, including his naturalization certificate and US passport.
