Kaysville man pleads guilty to gun charge in Singh murder case
SALT LAKE CITY — A Kaysville man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge that alleged he supplied the handgun a teenager used to kill Ogden grocer Satnam Singh last year.
In a plea bargain made public on Tuesday in U.S. District Court, Taydon Law, 22, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that could draw a five-year federal prison sentence. U.S. prosecutors dropped a charge of possession of a stolen firearm.
Law’s case stems from the Feb. 28, 2021, slaying of Singh, 65, inside his Super Grocery store. Prosecutors said Law provided a Ruger to Antonio Gianny Garcia, 15, of Ogden, who pleaded guilty to two first-degree felonies in the shooting and is serving two consecutive sentences of five years to life in prison.
The Weber County Attorney’s Office tracked down the alleged source of the handgun and the local prosecutors referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Salt Lake City.
The Ruger was stolen in Park City, Weber County Attorney Christopher Allred has said, but further details about how Law allegedly got the gun to Garcia have not been divulged. Allred said Garcia “never did fess up” to how he obtained the gun.
Magistrate Jared Bennett ordered a presentence investigation. District Judge Ted Stewart will sentence Law on Jan. 17. Law was returned to U.S. marshals’ custody pending sentencing.
Singh, an immigrant from India, was the victim of a robbery, shot four times in the late-night crime. According to Garcia’s guilty plea, he told police that when Singh moved away from the counter, he thought Singh was going for a gun or other weapon and he “acted on instinct” and fired. He said he thought “it would be me or him.” He said he fled the store and did not realize his shots hit Singh.
Singh was a beloved figure in Super Grocery’s neighborhood. His death sparked an outpouring of grief and expressions of appreciation for his acts of assistance and kindness to individuals and for his positive impact on the community.