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Three men arrested over alleged attempt to bribe juror in Gogic trial

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8 months ago

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NEW YORK – Three men were arrested Monday for allegedly trying to pay a juror up to $100,000 in cash during the drug trial of a former heavyweight boxer in Brooklyn, leading to the jury’s abrupt dismissal before opening statements were made.

John Marzulli, a spokesman for federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, said an unnamed jury would be selected when Goran Gogic’s trial resumes next month. Judge Joan Azrack scheduled a conference for December 17.

Gogic, from Montenegro, was scheduled to go on trial for allegedly conspiring to smuggle 20 tons (18.1 metric tons) of cocaine into Europe from Colombia through U.S. ports using commercial cargo ships. He pleaded not guilty. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Three people were arrested after they approached the jury and offered to pay $100,000 in exchange for an acquittal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Navarro told Azrack.

The three men may have obtained a copy of the jury roll or jury information from “individuals associated with this trial,” the prosecutor said.

Gogic’s lawyer, Joseph Corozzo, told the judge that he had informed the former player that the trial would not continue on Monday.

After Tuesday’s court hearing, one of the defendants, Mustafa Fteja, was released on $150,000 bail. The other two, Valmir Krasniqi and Afrim Kupa, were sent to prison pending further proceedings.

Fteja, Krasniqi and Kupa were not obliged to testify during the first hearings. Messages seeking comment were left with their lawyers.

Law enforcement officials described Gogic as a “major drug trafficker” and said he operated on a “gigantic scale.”

According to boxing website Sport & Note, former heavyweight boxer Gogic fought professionally in Germany from 2001 to 2012, compiling a record of 21-4-2. He was listed as 6 feet 5 inches and weighed between 227 pounds and 250 pounds.

In a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn, an FBI agent wrote that the bribery scheme took place between Thursday and Sunday.

Court documents show that one of the men charged in the conspiracy – Mustafa Fteja – already knew the juror described in the complaint as “John Doe No. 1” and called him repeatedly on his cell phone on Thursday before the juror agreed to meet him in Staten Island.

According to the complaint, during a meeting on Thursday, Fteja told the juror that his Bronx associates were willing to pay him to render an acquittal.

Two days later, Fteja told the juror during a second meeting that he was willing to pay him between $50,000 and $100,000 to corrupt the trial, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, investigators secured several recorded conversations between the defendants planning the juror corruption plot, during which the men spoke in Albanian and English.

During his trial, Gogic is charged with violating and conspiring to violate the Maritime Drug Enforcement Act. If convicted, he faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors said Gogic and his co-conspirators worked with ship crew members to smuggle cocaine in containers, moving loads of the drug from speedboats that approached cargo ships along their route, including near ports in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

US law enforcement intercepted three shipments, including 1,437 kilograms (3,168 pounds) of cocaine aboard the MSC Carlotta at the ports of Up-to-date York and Up-to-date Jersey in February 2019 and 17,956 kilograms (39,586 pounds) of cocaine – with a street value of more than $1 billion – aboard the MSC Gayane at the port of Philadelphia in June 2019.

Prosecutors said the Philadelphia bust was one of the largest cocaine seizures in U.S. history.

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Boxing

Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshuas Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns

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1 day ago

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July 25, 2026

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"Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshua's Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns"

Oleksandr Usyk has shared his reaction to Anthony Joshua‘s dramatic knockout victory against Kristian Prenga.

Usyk nearly suffered his own shock defeat in May when he was pushed to the limit by kickboxing star Rico Verhoevenand two months on it was nrw teammate Joshua’s turn to come close to a massive upset loss that would have stunned the heavyweight division.

The Brit was dropped twice by massive underdog Prenga in the opening round of their clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but ‘AJ’ managed to recover and record a big knockdown of his own in the second round that resulted in the stoppage victory.

Joshua and Usyk now train together, having famously had two battles for the unified world heavyweight title in 2021 and 2022, and the Ukrainian has had his say on his stablemate’s victory over Prenga.

Speaking to TalkSporttwo-time undisputed champion Usyk praised Joshua, insisting ‘AJ is back’ before predicting that Joshua will now claim a knockout win over long-term rival Tyson Fury in his next bout.

“Anthony Joshua is next undisputed champion. First round it’s a test but AJ is back.

It’s boxing, [the] big upper cut is good, it’s a knockdown. AJ [come] back and win.

“Greedy Belly [Fury] will speak now and say weak chin, Greedy Belly get out. AJ wins [against Fury], [he will] knock him out.”

Fury was victorious on Friday as he earned a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand, paving the way for the showdown against Joshua later this year.

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Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshuas Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns

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1 day ago

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July 25, 2026

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"Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshua's Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns"

Jake Paul was the last man to fight Anthony Joshua and he has now revealed his verdict on AJ’s chaotic victory over Kristian Prenga.

Joshua went up against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturdayin a clash that was expected to be a comfortable win for the former world heavyweight champion in order to set up the long overdue battle against Tyson Fury.

Any hopes of seeing that clash were nearly ended after AJ was dropped twice in the opening round of the bout, though he was able to recover and claim the second round knockout to come out on top and prevent a stunning shock upset from taking place.

Saturday’s outing saw Joshua back in the ring for the first time since his sixth round triumph over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in Decemberand now ‘The Problem Child’ himself has shared his reaction to his former rival’s victory over Prenga.

Posting on social mediaPaul praised AJ for earning the win, after returning to action following the tragic car crash he was involved in at the end of last year which took the lives of his two close friends.

“Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.”

The win for Joshua should now tee up for meeting with Fury later this year, after ‘The Gypsy King’ held up his end of the bargain by also securing a win in his warm-up bout on Friday, securing a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach.

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Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshuas Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

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1 day ago

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July 25, 2026

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Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshua's Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Anthony Joshua may have earned a knockout win over Kristian Prenga but the fight certainly didn’t unfold as most people expected.

Joshua was facing the Albanian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, and it looked like a massive upset could be on the cards when he was dropped twice in the opening round.

‘AJ’ was able to recover and went on to secure a second round knockout victory to prevent the shock lossseemingly paving the way for the battle against Tyson Fury later this year.

One man who was ringside to witness the battle was former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellewand he praised Joshua’s ability to turn things around in the fight after describing it as ‘chaos’.

“We predicted round two but I don’t think we foresaw that. That was chaos. He doesn’t see the uppercut coming and finds himself on the floor without knowing how he got there.

“The second one he did see it coming and he was able to clench down on the jaw. He got up and then the experience that he has he used tonight because he tied him up. Against Andy Ruiz he didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t know how to do that, but tonight he did.

“He showed once again there is no quit. To be that hurt in the first round and get up, that’s the recoveries of power. People talk about your chin, but it’s not, it’s the level of fitness that gets you up from the floor.

“When Joshua gets a fighter hurt he’s the best finisher in the division. Whenever he hurts someone they’re gone. I haven’t seen him drop anybody and they survive, only Andy Ruiz. He’s a ruthless finisher.”

The clash between Joshua and Fury is now expected to be announced soon for later this year, after Fury won his own interim fight on Friday by defeating Mariusz Wach.

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