Three Staten Island Men Plead Guilty in Federal Juror Bribery Scheme Linked to Major Cocaine Trafficking Trial

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Three Staten Island men have now pleaded guilty in federal court after prosecutors uncovered an effort to bribe a sitting juror during a major narcotics trafficking trial in the Eastern District of New York, a case federal authorities say represented a direct attempt to corrupt the integrity of the United States judicial system.

Federal prosecutors announced that AFRIM KUPA, 53, entered a guilty plea before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo to obstruction of justice for attempting to bribe a juror assigned to the criminal trial of United States v. Goran Gogic. Kupa becomes the final defendant to plead guilty in the case following earlier guilty pleas entered by MUSTAFA FTEJA, 54, and VALMIR KRASNIQI, 35.

According to federal authorities, the scheme centered around efforts to influence the outcome of a large-scale international cocaine trafficking prosecution being conducted in federal court in Brooklyn. Investigators allege the defendants attempted to offer Juror-1 up to $100,000 in exchange for a not guilty vote at the conclusion of the Gogic trial.

Federal prosecutors stated that each defendant now faces a potential sentence of up to twenty years in federal prison.

The case was announced by United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. for the Eastern District of New York alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Field Office. Federal officials described the attempted bribery operation as a serious attack against the judicial process itself, emphasizing that attempts to influence jurors undermine the foundation of federal criminal proceedings and public confidence in court verdicts.

The underlying Gogic prosecution involves allegations tied to a massive international cocaine trafficking operation that authorities say moved enormous quantities of narcotics through maritime shipping channels between 2018 and 2019. According to federal prosecutors, Goran Gogic allegedly coordinated cocaine shipments originating in Colombia using commercial cargo ships operating on international waters.

Authorities allege the trafficking network relied on cooperation between cocaine suppliers, maritime crewmembers, and port workers responsible for moving and unloading narcotics shipments into Europe through routes connected to the United States. Federal law enforcement reportedly intercepted three separate shipments connected to the conspiracy totaling nearly 20,000 kilograms of cocaine.

If convicted in the narcotics case, Gogic faces a possible life sentence in federal prison.

Court filings connected to the juror bribery case allege that jury selection in the Gogic trial occurred on November 3 and November 5, 2025, before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. Juror-1 was selected as part of that panel.

Federal prosecutors allege that between November 13 and November 17, 2025, Kupa, Krasniqi, and Fteja coordinated efforts to approach the juror and offer cash in exchange for influencing the verdict.

According to investigators, Krasniqi arranged a meeting in Staten Island between Kupa and Fteja on November 13, 2025. During that meeting, prosecutors allege Kupa explained that he and additional coconspirators wanted Fteja to act as the intermediary responsible for approaching Juror-1 with the bribery proposal.

Federal authorities allege that on November 15, 2025, Fteja informed Juror-1 that payment of up to $100,000 would be provided in exchange for voting not guilty during deliberations.

Investigators further allege that on November 16, 2025, all three defendants met again at Krasniqi’s residence in Staten Island, where they discussed the logistics of the payment arrangement and the plan to influence the jury process before the close of trial.

Federal authorities moved quickly after uncovering the alleged scheme.

On November 17, 2025, FBI agents arrested both Kupa and Krasniqi at their Staten Island residences. Prosecutors stated that at the time of his arrest, Kupa possessed a document containing Juror-1’s personal identifying information, including the juror’s name, home address, and place of employment.

Authorities also alleged that Krasniqi possessed a digital photograph of Juror-1 that had been transmitted via text message to Fteja as part of the operation.

The case highlights growing federal concern surrounding jury tampering, witness intimidation, and attempts to interfere with high-profile criminal proceedings involving organized narcotics trafficking and transnational criminal organizations. Federal courts rely heavily on juror anonymity protections, sealed records, and law enforcement monitoring to prevent outside influence during sensitive criminal trials involving large-scale trafficking networks and organized crime activity.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation stated that efforts to manipulate jury decisions through coercion, bribery, intimidation, or outside pressure remain a major enforcement priority because even a single compromised juror can jeopardize the integrity of an entire federal prosecution.

Federal prosecutors confirmed that the case is being handled by the Organized Crime and Gangs Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily J. Dean, Tanya Hajjar, and Stephen Petraeus are overseeing the prosecutions.

Federal authorities additionally credited Homeland Security Investigations in New York for assistance connected to the broader Gogic narcotics trafficking investigation.

As with all federal criminal proceedings, the charges and guilty pleas related to the bribery case do not alter the presumption of innocence afforded to defendants in the underlying Gogic narcotics prosecution unless proven guilty in court.

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