SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 31 – While many even most cases in the Magistrates Court of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York are sealed or have no case number given, on July 31 before Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang, things got even murkier. A twitching defendant referred to as Mister Carastillo by Judge Wang, or Mister Caraquillo by himself - neither name shows up in PACER - was remanded to the MCC on charges he sold heroin which killed a women on April 5, 2019 on Avenue D.
He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, according to Assistant US Attorney Nicholas Chiuchiolo (who last week sought to seal a drug sentencing from the Press, including which we have further inquired.)
His wife was in the gallery, where Inner City Press was the only media. She cried, and Judge Wang's new Deputy brought tissues. Very human - but what is the case number?
On July 29 a man just released from a mental hospital who had called and emailed in threats to President Trump, his former spokesperson Sarah Sanders, Trump Tower and the SDNY courthouse, even GMHC where he was living, was brought into Mag Court in shackles, saying he wanted bail. The government said his threats waste resources and cause danger. His Federal Defender said he is now on medication, and that his phone could be looked at after the fact.
After a five minute break that turned into 15 minutes, Judge Wang agreed he can be released on bail: a $25,000 signature bond, a visit by pre-trial services to GMHC, and the promise to threaten no more. Meanwhile a defendant who made a single online threat to DC's Mayor is still detained. We'll have more on this. The case, hours after the presentation, is stilled as under seal. The defendant's name, as pronounced - no New Presentments list has been provided - is Mr De Luca a/k/a Clark. Murky, indeed. Inner City Press was the only media in the Mag Court, then returned to the PACER terminal it has worked at for months, only to find the case still sealed.
Earlier on July 29 defendant who was referred to as "Mister Ochoa Alvarez," names too common to usefully search in PACER, pled guilty to 100 grams of heroin. It was a lesser included offense to the original charge, one kilo. And it took place in Colombia, with the prepondrance of evidence for venue being a phone call made from the SDNY. Twice Judge Wang asked, Was an promise made beyond the plea letter? And twice Mister Ochoa Alvarez said, Yes. Until he we convinced or cajoled on the third time to say, No. He will be sentenced in October. Inner City Press will continue to try to find the case on the PACER terminal it has worked perched over for months.
