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US authorities have charged an Indian national with allegedly selling methamphetamine from a California pizza outlet. The case has intensified scrutiny over drug trafficking networks using everyday businesses as cover.
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Washington,UPDATED: Sep 5, 2026 07:50 IST
An Indian national has been charged in the US with distributing drugs from a pizza outlet in California, the Department of Justice said. Court documents allege that 50-year-old Kawal Preet Singh sold wholesale quantities of methamphetamine from a Round Table Pizza restaurant he operated in Dinuba.
The Department of Justice said Singh, described as an unlawful resident of the US, was also armed with illegal firearms. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for drug trafficking, along with a fine of up to USD 10 million.
According to a statement issued by the Department of Justice on Thursday, federal agents searched Singh's home and business on August 18. They seized more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine, three firearms and over USD 10,000 in cash.
In addition to the drug trafficking charge, Singh also faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, to run consecutive to any other sentence, and up to life in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Department of Justice said any sentence would be decided by the court after considering applicable statutory factors and the federal sentencing guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The Department of Justice said the charges are only allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, which the Department of Justice described as a whole-of-government partnership aimed at eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organisations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.
In sum, US authorities have charged Singh with drug trafficking and firearm offences after searches at his home and business in California allegedly led to the recovery of methamphetamine, firearms and cash, with the case now proceeding through the court process.
With PTI Inputs
- Ends
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Sep 5, 2026 07:50 IST
