Faking Death ‘Still Haunts' Target Of Murder Plot As Court Sentences Conspirators

By Editor, Times of San Diego

February 10, 2023

Three people who took part in a plan to kidnap a business associate over a dispute involving investment properties were sentenced to prison terms Thursday in San Diego federal court.

Salam Razuki, Sylvia Gonzales, and Elizabeth Juarez were arrested in late 2018 in connection with a criminal conspiracy to hire a supposed hit man to abduct their business partner and take him across the border to have him killed, according to prosecutors.

On Thursday, Razuki and Gonzales were each sentenced to seven years in prison, while Juarez received a term of just under four years.

All three defendants pleaded guilty last year to a conspiracy to kidnap charge.

According to a lawsuit filed later by the victim, Ninus Malan, he and Razuki had a business relationship that fell apart, leading to a civil dispute involving more than $40 million in assets.

The dispute culminated with the hiring of the “hit man,” who turned out to be a confidential informant.

Prosecutors say the informant was offered $2,000 for the job and received a $1,000 down payment.

During a meeting with two of the defendants, prosecutors allege “Gonzales said she wanted to watch and wanted (the victim) to know that it had come from them, but Juarez cautioned Gonzales shouldn’t watch because it would be gruesome and haunt her.”

The two women suggested the victim be taken to Mexico, according to the prosecution’s sentencing brief.

Gonzales said during their meeting with the informant, “No, let’s do it in Mexico because we can’t be charged in the U.S. Let’s do it in Mexico in case anything comes back to us,” while Juarez said, “In Mexico, it’s easier to make things go away. You pay for your freedom.”

The informant later met with Razuki and told him, “I took care of it” and offered to show a picture of the victim. Razuki declined to see the picture, but directed the informant to meet with Gonzales for payment, prosecutors said.

In court, Malan said he continues to live in paranoia and fear. After being informed of the murder plot, federal agents had him stage photographs in which he appeared to have been shot, tortured and beaten to death. Malan said the images of the staged death are “still vivid in my mind” and “still haunt me.”

Gonzales and Juarez both made apologies in court, while Razuki did not because he is unable to speak due to various medical conditions, according to his attorney.

Gonzales told Malan and his family, “I am extremely sorry for the mental anguish and torment I have caused you.”

Juarez’s defense attorney, Allen Bloom, argued his client had a minimal role in the conspiracy, had no sincere intent to harm Malan, and simply went along with what Gonzales was telling the informant. Nonetheless, Juarez said she had “a great amount of shame and I stand before this courtroom embarrassed of my actions that brought me here.”

Razuki’s defense attorney, Dana Grimes, asked for a time served sentence for her client, because of his medical conditions, which she said would require extensive treatment during any period of incarceration.

Grimes said her client is “a shell of the man who was indicted in 2018” and poses no risk to the public in his current state.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko argued Razuki’s role was to direct others to commit harm and thus would not need to be in good health to present a danger to others. The prosecutor also said whatever facility he is housed in would be “essentially a hospital” in order to treat his ongoing ailments.

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