A Bronx man was arrested on Thursday (April 4) in Manhattan on criminal charges related to the alleged 2021 murder of a man in Bangladesh.
“As alleged in the indictment, the defendant, a U.S. national, murdered another U.S. national while they were both in Bangladesh,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“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.”
According to court documents, on or about June 11, 2021, Ganet Rozario, 52, of the Bronx, New York, killed Michael Rozario in Bangladesh. Ganet Rozario allegedly used and carried a firearm to carry out the murder.
“Ganet Rozario, a citizen of the United States, allegedly murdered another U.S. national in Bangladesh,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “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.”
“The FBI devotes significant resources to investigating crimes that occur overseas which affect U.S. interests and impact American citizens,” said Acting Assistant Director in Charge Mehtab Syed of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “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.”
“Ganet Rozario allegedly committed the cold and calculated murder of Michael Rozario, a U.S. national, overseas in Bangladesh,” said Assistant Director in Charge James H. Smith III of the FBI New York Field Office. “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.
Ganet Rozario will also make his court appearance today in the Southern District of New York.
Ganet Rozario is charged with one count of foreign murder of a U.S. national and one count of use, carrying, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The FBI Los Angeles and New York Field Offices investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: The United States Department of Justice
BDST: 1208 HRS, APR 06, 2024
MN/SMS
