Guyana man deported from US charged with 2015 murder

Kanand Ojha, a Guyanese man deported from the United States, has been arraigned in Guyana for the 2015 murder of Noel “Nephi” Luther. Ojha was arrested in Queens, New York, in September 2025 and subsequently deported to Guyana, where he was taken into custody by police upon arrival at Ogle International Airport.

The charges stem from an incident on July 22, 2015, in Georgetown, where Luther, a sex worker, was shot in the chest during a confrontation. It is alleged that Ojha and his associate, Ron “Andel” Forde, confronted Luther following an argument involving a client. Forde previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2017.

Ojha appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where he was remanded to prison. The case has been adjourned until October 12, 2026. The arrest was made possible through cooperation between Guyanese authorities and U.S. law enforcement under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters platform.