New York, September 1, 2026 – The Eastern District of New York Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Monday that an Indian cab driver who had raped a female passenger in Manhattan 15 years ago with a knife, has been formally stripped of his U.S. citizenship for deceiving the immigration authorities during the naturalization process and concealing crucial criminal facts.
Federal Judge ordered the criminal to surrender his U.S. passport and naturalization certificate by September 16th of this year. Upon completion of his sentence, he will face deportation back to India.
According to court documents and data from the Department of Justice, the man involved is 55-year-old Gurmeet Singh. In the early hours of May 7, 2011, Singh, driving a yellow taxi in Manhattan, picked up a female passenger who had fallen asleep in the back seat due to alcohol consumption. Instead of taking her to her destination, Singh drove to a secluded area, pulled out a knife, threatened the victim, tied her up in the back seat, and raped her.
Following the sexual assault, Singh was immediately investigated by the New York City Police Department. He was eventually convicted in a New York state court in 2014 of first-degree rape and first-degree kidnapping, sentenced to 20 years in prison, and is currently serving his sentence in a New York state prison.
However, the Department of Justice investigation revealed that just a few months after committing this heinous sexual assault (in October 2011), Singh, who was not yet apprehended at the time, attended a U.S. citizenship interview. When asked by immigration officials if he had committed any unarrested crimes or engaged in immoral behavior, Singh lied throughout and concealed the rape he had just committed, ultimately obtaining U.S. citizenship fraudulently.
The Eastern District of New York Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the Civil Litigation Section of the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit with the federal court at the beginning of 2026, alleging that Singh “illegally obtained citizenship” and “deliberately concealed key facts” when applying for naturalization.
Federal District Judge Nicholas Garaufis ultimately endorsed the prosecution’s arguments and signed a formal judgment: revoking Singh’s U.S. citizenship and ordering him to surrender his naturalization certificate and U.S. passport by September 16.
In a statement, the Eastern District of New York Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated: “Obtaining U.S. citizenship is a supreme privilege and must never be used as a talisman to evade legal consequences. The defendant committed an extremely cruel act of violent sexual assault, deceiving the national immigration system through lies.”
Legal experts point out that under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, individuals who obtain citizenship through fraud, concealment of material facts, or lack of “good moral character” during the naturalization process may have their citizenship revoked by the government after several years or even decades. Upon completion of the remaining sentence, the immigration authorities will immediately take over and initiate the deportation process.