LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Lexington man has been convicted of conspiring to commit kidnapping and murder-for-hire and faces a maximum of life in prison.
Fnu “John” Sadiqullah, 32, thought he was owed money and instructed a hitman to get his money back, if necessary, by kidnapping or killing his alleged debtor or the debtor’s minor son, according to trial evidence.
Authorities discovered the plot because the person whom Sadiqullah hired as kidnapper/murderer was a confidential source for the FBI.
Sadiqullah hired the hitman through Mahmoud Shaker Shalash, the former imam of the Islamic Center of Lexington, authorities said. Shalash in January pleaded guilty to kidnapping and money laundering. A third suspect in the case was acquitted.
Following a five-day trial, a jury convicted Sadiqullah of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, according to a story by Lex18.
Evidence showed that Sadiqullah believed the victim owed him and a colleague tens of thousands of dollars, which he could not collect despite repeated visits to the victim’s place of business. Sadiqullah and the third defendant worked for the owner of a Lexington tire shop and taxi business who had failed to pay them back money he had borrowed to expand the business, attorneys for the two defendants said, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Sadiqullah, through Shalash, hired a kidnapper, whom he called to the victim’s place of business to carry out the kidnapping/murder.
However, the kidnapper called the FBI, which took the victim and his son into protective custody.
Sadiqullah and Shalash are scheduled to be sentenced in June.
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