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Press Release
Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Nicole M. Argentieri, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Mehtab Syed, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge New York Field Office of the FBI, announced today that GANET ROZARIO was charged with the murder of a U.S. national on foreign soil, specifically, in Bangladesh. ROZARIO was arrested this morning and will be presented later today in Manhattan federal court. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ganet Rozario, a citizen of the United States, allegedly murdered another U.S. national in Bangladesh. Today’s charges demonstrate that the reach of this Office and that of our law enforcement partners is vast and that our commitment to protect the men and women of New York City extends far beyond its geographical boundaries. The message is clear: this Office and its partners will be relentless in our pursuit of anyone who takes another life, even overseas.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri said: “As alleged in the indictment, the defendant, a U.S. national, murdered another U.S. national while they were both in Bangladesh. When an American murders another American abroad, they will face serious consequences. The Criminal Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting violent crimes committed against U.S. nationals wherever they occur and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.”
FBI Los Angeles Acting Assistant Director in Charge Mehtab Syed said: “The FBI devotes significant resources to investigating crimes that occur overseas which affect U.S. interests and impact American citizens. Individuals who commit crimes against U.S. citizens abroad will be held accountable through the FBI's extraterritorial investigations, which exist to deliver justice for victims of crimes beyond U.S. borders.”
FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Ganet Rozario allegedly committed the cold and calculated murder of Michael Rozario, a United States national, overseas in Bangladesh. It’s not up to the discretion of a single individual to take the life of another as this greatly disrupts the scales of justice. Today’s arrest emphasizes the FBI’s promise to aggressively pursue such egregious criminal acts against our citizens, even if they occur in foreign countries.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]
On June 11, 2021, GANET ROZARIO shot and killed Michael Rozario in Bangladesh.
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ROZARIO, 52, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with the foreign murder of a U.S. national, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which was discharged, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for information purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit, in conjunction with the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik and Senior Trial Attorney Frank Rangoussis of the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Nicholas Biase, Lauren Scarff, Shelby Wratchford
(212) 637-2600