Shivangi Sinha
Just months after Clifford Lambert was reported missing in Palm Springs, California, authorities made several arrests. In early 2009, Danny Garcia and Kaushal Niroula were taken into custody and charged with murder. The case, centered on financial fraud intertwined with homicide, was complex and far from straightforward. Although both were initially convicted, their convictions were later overturned. Four additional co-conspirators faced similar legal proceedings, making the ordeal extremely difficult for Lambert’s friends and family. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Prince, The Whiz Kid & The Millionaire’ delves into the case, detailing the investigation, the legal battles, and the eventual pursuit of justice for Lambert.
Kaushal Niroula and Danny Garcia Enjoyed an Adventurous Lifestyle Together
Kaushal Niroula was born in Nepal and arrived in California in the early 2000s as a foreign exchange student. In 2002, he met Daniel “Danny” Carlos Garcia in San Francisco, having recognized him from a magazine article. That same year, Garcia had filed a lawsuit against financier Thomas White, alleging sexual abuse. According to court records, he and another plaintiff received a settlement of $500,000 in connection with these claims. By 2013, White had filed a separate lawsuit, alleging he had been coerced into making the settlement payments and that he had been defrauded. During this period, Garcia reportedly enjoyed the settlement funds and spent time with friends, including Tyson Wrensch.
Garcia met Clifford Lambert, an art dealer from Palm Springs, California, through an online dating app. In early 2008, he visited Lambert’s home and met a few of his friends. While the interactions appeared cordial on the surface, Garcia was primarily seeking an investor for his business rather than a romantic connection. Feeling disappointed, Lambert asked him to leave, and it was later alleged that Garcia, in anger, stole his credit card and upgraded his ticket to first class. During this time, he remained friends with Niroula, who was falsely presenting himself as a prince. Wrensch recalled spending time with both men in San Francisco, noting their glamorous lifestyle. It was around this period that Niroula and Garcia allegedly began plotting to defraud and ultimately kill Lambert.
Kaushal Niroula and Danny Garcia Orchestrated the Murder of Cliff Lambert With Four Others
Kaushal Niroula and Danny Garcia recruited four others to assist in their plan: Miguel Bustamante, a former partner; Craig McCarthy, a former mariner; Russell Manning, a former cook; and San Francisco lawyer David Replogle, who had known Garcia since the 2002 lawsuit and was allegedly involved in an affair with Niroula. In November 2008, Niroula contacted Lambert while pretending to be a lawyer, claiming that an old friend and art collector had passed away and left him artwork. Using the pretext of signing documents, he arranged a meeting at the Palm Springs home. On December 5, while having drinks, Niroula allowed Bustamante and Manning into the house, where they stabbed him.
They then wrapped Lambert’s remains in a carpet, placed them in the trunk of a car, and buried them along a mountain pass near Los Angeles. After Lambert was reported missing by his friends, police began investigating and soon discovered suspicious activity on his credit cards and bank accounts. Powers of attorney had been fraudulently created in his name, and approximately $200,000 was withdrawn. There was even an attempt to sell his home, but in January 2009, when Bustamante returned to the property with a moving truck, neighbors reported the activity to authorities. He was arrested, and in the months that followed, the rest of the group was also taken into custody.
Niroula and Garcia were charged with murder, conspiracy, grand theft, and additional crimes. In 2012, both were convicted of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and multiple related offenses, receiving life sentences without the possibility of parole. In 2018, Niroula filed post-conviction motions and submitted secret recordings of Judge David Downing and his clerk, which included problematic remarks referencing Niroula’s sexuality and his HIV-positive status. These recordings had allegedly been made on Garcia’s courtroom laptop. In June 2020, the murder convictions against both of them were overturned, and a retrial was ordered.
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Kaushal Niroula Passed Away Behind Bars, While Danny Garcia is Serving His Sentence Today
At the time, Kaushal Niroula, 41, was being held at the Riverside County Jail. On September 6, 2020, he died after being beaten and strangled by his cellmate, Rodney Sanchez. Following his death, his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging negligence. They claimed that Niroula, who was identifying as a transgender woman at the time, was not adequately protected by police officers despite the known risk posed by a violent cellmate. In October 2023, Danny Garcia faced his second trial and was once again convicted.
He was found guilty of one felony count each of murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, using another person’s identity to obtain credit, and using a forged instrument. Additionally, he was convicted on three felony counts of burglary, two counts of grand theft over $950, and one misdemeanor count of receiving stolen property. The court also upheld a special circumstance allegation of murder for financial gain and a sentence-enhancing allegation involving fraud or embezzlement. In February 2025, Garcia was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. He is currently 43 years old and is serving his sentence at the California State Prison-Corcoran in Corcoran, California.
