By Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURT, August 28 – When Marcos Camue appeared for sentencing for his role in planning to rob drug dealers, he was the only defendant in the case before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jesse M. Furman. The docket number was 19-cr-222, US v. Camue.
Judge Furman pointed out that it was a group crime, and that by breaking it into separate cases the U.S. Attorney's Office was promoting disparities in sentencing for the same conduct. He inquired into another related case before fellow SDNY Judge Valerie A. Caproni, US v. Peralta, 19-cr-135. Then hesentenced Camue to 30 months.
As it happens Camue may also be deported after that. Judge Furman told him, I don't know where you'll be when you get out, here or "abroad," but I hope you turn it around. Camue ascribed his crime to the death of his mother.
In the nearly empty gallery, where Inner City Press was the only media, another woman wept. Three photographs of Camue with his daughter, who may have been out in the hallway by the library, were viewed by not entered into the docket. And so it goes in the SDNY.
Previously before Judge Furman, Christopher Bullock was indicted in 2018 for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors by force, fraud or coercion in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1594(c).
On August 14 he pled guilty to a the lesser charge of conspiracy to violate the "Travel Act," with reference to a sentence of 60 months, before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jesse M. Furman.
Inner City Press, the only media in Judge Furman's courtroom, couldn't help wonder how this pleading down related to criticism of the abruptly ended or change Jeffrey Epstein child sex trafficking case. A review of Bullock's motion to suppress, which Judge Furman denied, makes it appear that Bullock housed the minors who were being prostituted, was accused of making them sell drugs for him.
Even the venue was dubious, or at least interesting. Bullock answered that none of the acts took place in the Southern District, including the Bronx, Westchester and Manhattan.
Then the Assistant US Attorney said since he used the phone and Internet, THAT goes through the Southern District. He added that one of the sex acts took place in Manhattan. That apparently was enough - though at the end of the proceeding he added that minors had been recruited in Westchester. Judge Furman indicated, or seemed to, that the Manhattan sex act was enough. Inner City Press will continue to follow this and other SDNY cases. Watch this site.
A Latvian fraudster with a construction job waiting for him in Helsinki, Finland was sentence to a year and a day in prison then deportation by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jesse M. Furman on July 22.
Raitis Grigorjevs came to the US on his vacation in order to open up bank accounts to help with a wider scheme. On July 22 his lawyer Lawrence A. Dubin asked Judge Furman, "Do you watch the News Hour?"
Judge Furman replied to not assume that he watches anything (although earlier in the proceeding he seemed to say he'd seen something on 60 Minutes). Dubin mused that his client is 27 and still no children, saying that the key will be to find the right woman.
His argument seemed to work. While the guidelines called for 27 to 33 months, Grigorjevs got a year and a year, and then a new life in Finland where, if might seem, a prior US felony connection might not be a bar to much. There are of course the victims' letter in the docket, and other defendants coming up. Watch this site.
