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Jeweler Found Dead With Zip Ties Around Neck in Downtown Shop, NYPD Says

By  Trevor Kapp and Aidan Gardiner | February 16, 2017 9:20am 

 Omid Gholian was pronounced dead in the bathroom of 193 Church St., police said.
Omid Gholian was pronounced dead in the bathroom of 193 Church St., police said.
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DNAinfo/Trevor Kapp

TRIBECA — An Iranian jeweler was found dead with two zip ties cinched around his neck in the bathroom of his family's shop Wednesday evening, NYPD officials said.

Omid Gholian, whose brother reported him missing on Monday, was found inside the bloody bathroom of World of Gold N Diamond at 193 Church St., near Duane Street, just minutes after 6 p.m., sources said.

Gholian, 43 and from Marine Park, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The circumstances of his death weren't immediately clear. The Medical Examiner will determine his cause of death, police said.

The shop doesn't show any signs of forced entry, nothing appears to have been taken and Gholina didn't show any injuries that'd indicate he was beaten or tortured, sources said.

Investigators plan to review security footage from the shop as well, sources said.

Fred Laleh, a 60-year-old fellow jeweler from the neighborhood, suspected something was amiss when one of his employees reported that Gholian's shop was closed Tuesday.

"I checked myself and the gate was down and the locks were in the proper position," Laleh said.

Laleh visited Gholian's family Wednesday night and was there when Gholian's brother helped unlock the family's jewelry shop, he said.

"I was crying all night. It's very, very sad," Laleh said.

Gholian was a dedicated businessman who became a fixture in the neighborhood known for his jokes, friends said.

"He was a very friendly, decent guy. He was a very hard worker. We'd talk two or three times a day," Laleh said.

"He was such a funny guy with good humor. He was passionate. Every day we talked about business. We'd say it's too stressful," the friend said.

Customers agreed.

"I bought my daughter's first earrings there. I took my wife there. He'd say to her, 'Come on, what are you doing with this guy?'" said James Craig, who works in the neighborhood.

"He was a very nice guy, humble, very trustworthy. He used to let people behind the counter just to check out what they wanted. I said, 'Why do you let people do that?' He said, 'Don't worry, James. Everything's good,'" Craig added.

Laleh, who also emigrated from Iran, said he and Gholian fled their home country for the same reason.

"We all came for a reason. Over there just wasn't safe for us anymore," he said.

— Additional reporting by Irene Plagianos