A man accused of attempting to bribe a juror in the drug trafficking trial of former heavyweight boxer Goran Gogic has pleaded guilty to obstructing justice in federal court in Brooklyn.
Mustafa Fteja entered the plea Thursday under an agreement that calls for him to serve approximately five to six years in prison when he is sentenced on June 23. Fteja was one of three men charged in November in connection with an alleged scheme to corrupt Gogic’s upcoming trial.
According to court records, Fteja contacted a juror identified as “John Doe #1,” whom he already knew, and arranged multiple meetings on Staten Island. Over two meetings spanning three days, Fteja allegedly told the juror that associates in the Bronx were prepared to pay between $50,000 and $100,000 in exchange for a not guilty verdict.
Investigators said the case includes recorded conversations of the defendants discussing the bribery plan in both Albanian and English. Fteja has remained free on $150,000 bail since his arrest.
Gogic, who has pleaded not guilty to violating and conspiring to violate the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, faces a potential sentence of 10 years to life in prison if convicted. His trial, originally scheduled to begin in November, has yet to take place.
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