Damian Bradford gets 17 years

AKRON, Ohio - Damian Bradford said Wednesday that he constantly regrets shooting Dr. Gulam Moonda in the head in a failed murder-for-hire scheme.

"Not a day goes by that I don't think about where I'm at for what I've done," the 26-year-old former Center Township resident said in federal court in Akron, Ohio. "What I did was wrong. I want (the Moonda) family to know from my heart, I am sorry."

Bradford had also told his attorney that despite carrying on an affair with Gulam Moonda's wife, Donna, "He didn't deserve to die."

Wednesday, U.S. District Judge David Dowd Jr. sentenced Bradford to 17½ years in federal prison on charges of interstate stalking and illegal firearm possession.

Bradford pleaded guilty to the charges last year, saying he shot Gulam Moonda, 69, alongside the Ohio Turnpike on May 13, 2005.

Bradford said he shot the doctor because Donna Moonda promised to split millions in inheritance money with him.

Prosecutors had recommended the 17½-year sentence on the condition that Bradford testify against Moonda in her trial, which Bradford did two weeks ago.

Last week, a federal jury convicted Donna Moonda, 48, on charges including murder-for-hire and interstate stalking.

Her death penalty sentencing is scheduled to begin Monday, and a jury will choose between sentencing her to death by lethal injection or life without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors publicly acknowledged for the first time Wednesday that their case against Bradford had been mostly circumstantial, and admitted that if Bradford had been declared not guilty in a trial, it was unlikely that Donna Moonda would have faced a trial.

"Without Damian Bradford, there would not have been complete justice in this case," Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy Kelley said.

She later added of the relatively lenient sentence, "We do not condone in any way the senseless taking of Gulam Moonda's life."

Betrayal

In his brief remarks to Dowd, Bradford never used Donna Moonda's name when talking about why he entered a plea last year.

Instead, he said, "I was betrayed. I thought that person was going to be there in my time of need, as my star witness."

Bradford said during Moonda's trial that she was supposed to testify that he had nothing to do with the shooting. Moonda refused to testify in his case, saying she feared incriminating herself in the shooting.

Bradford said that even if he had gone to trial and was pronounced not guilty, it wouldn't have mattered to him.

"Whether I got away with it or not, I don't think I'd be able to live with this feeling in my gut," Bradford said.

Remorse

Bradford's defense attorney, Michael DeRiso of Pittsburgh, said that not only did Moonda's "betrayal" make Bradford realize that it was best to cut a deal with prosecutors, he also "simply wanted the Moonda family to know the truth."

DeRiso said Bradford told him previously that, "This guy did not deserve to die. He was innocent. He didn't do anything to me."

Initially, Bradford denied to investigators that he had killed Moonda. But once the plea agreement was reached, "He never once tried to justify his actions," DeRiso said, adding, "He didn't attempt to hedge or shade the truth in any way."

Gulam Moonda's nephew Dr. Faroq Moonda of Poland, Ohio, wrote a letter to Dowd, in which he said the Moonda family holds Donna Moonda "more accountable for Damian's actions."

But of Bradford, Faroq Moonda wrote, "We hope that Damian can understand the impact he has had on Uncle's family and friends and pray for his rehabilitation."

Manipulation

After Bradford's sentencing, DeRiso said it was clear that Donna Moonda masterminded the murder plot.

Private investigator Jim Smith of New Kensington, who was part of Bradford's defense team, said Bradford spoke of Donna Moonda making whispered cell phone calls to him, claiming she had been locked in the basement of her home by her husband.

Bradford also spoke of the possibility that Moonda had been burned with a cigar by her husband, Smith said.

"I think there is no doubt about who did what in this case," DeRiso said.

DeRiso said Bradford was "satisfied" with Moonda's conviction, that he "felt good that the jury believed him, somebody believed what he had to say."

DeRiso said Bradford still has feelings for Moonda, but described them as "feelings for a friend, a longtime friend that you haven't talked to for a long time."

Dr. Faroq Moonda, nephew of Dr. Gulam Moonda, wrote a letter to U.S. District Judge David Dowd Jr. that was read Wednesday by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Barr during the sentencing of Damian Bradford.

Here is the full letter:

"I would like to take this time to explain to you and Damian Bradford how the murder of my uncle has affected me and my family. Dr. Gulam Moonda came from very modest means. He rose from poverty and his drive for education and self-improvement pulled him through medical school. He was the first man in my family to attend college, let alone complete a doctorate. Like so many others, he saw America as the land of opportunity and relocated to the States in order to complete his residency in urology in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His hard work and diligence brought him to western Pennsylvania, where he lived and worked until his death. My uncle began his practice at a time where the medical field was even more lucrative than it is now. He realized that his family in India continued to live in impoverished conditions and sent a substantial amount of his earnings to his parents and siblings. He basically brought a family at the verge of poverty into riches that they had never imagined. Our family members are all living good lives with successful businesses that were single-handedly built by my uncle. Uncle's generosity did not end with his family. He contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout his lifetime to many charities and Indian schools. In fact, he was known throughout this community and in India to never turn down a person in need. He contributed money to build the mosque where he prayed at every Friday in Youngstown, Ohio. He also helped establish an Islamic studies position at Youngstown State University. His patients remember him as the gentleman doctor, a man who helped them through medical and personal difficulties. Although he was well past his retirement age, he refused to give up his urology practice. This was his hobby, his job and his passion. Nothing fulfilled him more than helping a patient. He also worried about what would happen to his patients if he retired, since there was no other urologist in the area. So he continued to work up until the day he died. Since his murder, so many of his patients have come to me or his close friends to say a kind word and a prayer. This is the legacy that he has left behind. My uncle felt that education was the foundation of success and encouraged all of my cousins to pursue a college degree. Having no children of his own, he allowed me to move to America and live with him as his legally adopted son in order to pursue a career in medicine. I was so inspired by my uncle that I wanted to follow his footsteps and help people the way he had his entire life. He offered to pay for my entire education, but I resisted and instead took loans to achieve my goals. In 2005, a month after his murder, I graduated from my residency in anesthesiology. My uncle looked forward to that day for many years and could not attend what should have been one of the proudest days of my life. No one can understand how his absence affected me that day and the two years since. Everything I am today, each patient that I am able to help, and my morals and values are all due to his direct influence. The day Damian killed my uncle, he took away the most influential person in my life. My whole family in India mourned in disbelief. Even two years later, the family speaks of Uncle with sadness, regret and pain. They speak of Damian and Donna with a hatred so deep that words cannot even begin to explain the magnitude of their loss. In the end, it was Donna who plotted to kill the man she had spent her life with, the same man who had established her and other members of her family. Uncle took care of her every need and gave her full liberty to live as she desired. She, in turn, coaxed Damian to commit this murder for the very money that she never lacked for the duration of their courtship and marriage. The biggest tragedy is that the man who helped so many was deceived by the woman he helped the most. With all of this said, we are pleased that Damian was able to help the prosecutors and investigators, regardless of his motivation. He should also realize that he is genuinely lucky to have received such a generous plea bargain from the U.S. attorneys. Although he contributed to Donna's eventual sentencing, we still hope that he receives a punishment fitting for a murderer. Whatever is the outcome of Damian's sentencing, we hope that he can take this time to reflect upon the havoc he has caused in so many lives. This one, seemingly unimportant, life was linked to so many others who continue the journey of life without him. We hope that Damian can understand the impact he has had on Uncles family and friends and pray for his rehabilitation. We will never be able to forgive him or forget the damage he has caused; however, we hold Donna more accountable for Damian's actions."

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Damian Bradford gets 17 years