San Francisco News Blog

Kaushal Niroula

​ A Southern California judge today ordered a murder trial for two of five men charged in the "Gay Grifter" case, in which a crew led by a San Francisco-based Nepalese immigrant allegedly killed a Palm Springs retiree and and looted his assets.

Testimony during a preliminary hearing last week suggested scheme was the brainchild of Kaushal Niroula, 27, who purportedly plotted to loot the assets of retired art dealer Cliff Lambert, 75, murder him, and hide his corpse. Lambert has been missing since last year.

Niroula had already become notorious as a suspected San Francisco con man whose purported schemes contributed to the collapse of New College.


Niroula, along with alleged co-conspirator Craig McCarthy, 29, now face murder charges, reported The Desert Sun newspaper.

A judge will rule on whether trials will be held for alleged co-conspirators Daniel Garcia, Miguel Bustamante, David Replogle -- a San Francisco attorney -- after the court's lunch break today, the Sun reported.