Federal Jury Convicts Margate Man in Murder-For-Hire Plot, Co-Conspirator Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison
MIAMI / Thursday, October 1, 2026 – A federal jury in Miami found a Margate man guilty of participating in a murder-for-hire scheme that culminated in the November 2023 death of Suren Seetal.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Avin Seetaram, also known as “Smalls,” 27, of Margate, conspired with Somjeet Christopher Singh, also known as “Lil Chris,” 32, of Coral Springs, to have Seetal killed over business dealings. The conspirators first targeted Seetal in July 2023. After tracking his whereabouts through an electronic device placed in the vehicle he was using, they sent a gunman and driver to kill him. The gunman opened fire on Seetal, who returned fire. No one was struck, and the gunman and the driver fled.
After that attempt failed, Seetaram and Singh arranged a second plot. On Nov. 2, 2023, they lured Seetal to a business location, where a newly hired gunman was waiting. The gunman ambushed Seetal and shot him to death. Seetaram and Singh then paid the gunman as promised and coordinated efforts to conceal the crime, including transporting and disposing of Seetal’s body in the Everglades.
“This was not a spontaneous act of violence. It was a deliberate, persistent, and cold-blooded murder-for-hire scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The defendants tracked Suren Seetal, sent armed men to kill him, tried again after the first attempt failed, and ultimately had him ambushed and murdered. They then paid the gunman and helped dispose of Seetal’s body in the Everglades. One conspirator is already serving life in federal prison, and a jury has now convicted Seetaram for his role in this brutal crime.”
The jury convicted Seetaram of murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, stalking resulting in death, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence. He faces up 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during a crime of violence count and up to life in prison on the remaining counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Singh previously pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder for hire, kidnapping conspiracy, kidnapping, stalking resulting in death, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during a crime of violence, causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and obstruction of justice. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman sentenced Singh to concurrent terms of life in federal prison on six counts, 140 months on the firearm conspiracy count, and 120 months on the obstruction of justice count.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
FBI Miami is investigating the case, with assistance from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Michael Gilfarb are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20483.
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Southern District of Florida
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Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida
