SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 7 – Five defendants in a telemarketing scheme were presented past 8 pm on November 20 in the Magistrates Court of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The government proposed that while they could be released on their own signatures that night, but asked that they get pre-approval from Pre-Trial Services for any expenditure above $10,000.
The lawyer for lead defendant Anthony Cheedie objected, saying that the government should not be the one to approve the payment of legal defense fees.
That week's SDNY Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn proposed a carve out for payments to law firms for legal defense. She also confirmed that another of the defendants would be allowed to continue to take THC or medical marijuana, if he can show a prescription.
On July 7, 2020, Judge Sidney H. Stein held a status conference in the case, which Inner City Press covered:
Judge Stein began by telling the lawyers how to come into SDNY courthouse, with QR Code and temperature check. Inner City Press can vouch for the process.
First speaker was Coordinating Discovery Attorney Emma Greenwood. Judge Stein congratulated her on her letter head's new logo. She said they've gotten 60 gigabytes of discovery.
Greenwood says that while court-appointed counsel have free access to her database, retained counsel have to pay their share. Not all have access to the database.
Judge Stein: But if they pay their share, they have it?
Yes. AUSA described scanning documents. Judge Stein said as in most multi defendant trial, he doubts that all will go to trail - he's not telling anyone to do anything, but to keep talking.
Back on December 6 before SDNY Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses co-defendant Kevin Kristopher Handren was presented, in from Utah with two retained lawyers. He was quickly released on $250,000 bond, with travel to Utah, barred from the same companies as the others.
Judge Moses remarked that the company names were entirely generic - but that was the point. Kevin Handren's lawyer brought up the carve out from the monetary restrictions for paying for legal representation. They were in and out, while a homeless defendant was urged to withdraw his application for release. Inner City Press will stay on these cases.
While the five are generally barred from speaking with their co-defendants without the presence of counsel, two are married: Mattie Cirilo and Derrek Larkin. They are allowed to speak with each other without counsel. They are also charged with obstruction of justice.
Joseph Minetto had proposed to continue working for a company called Blank Canvas. But the government said that is alleged to be part of the scheme. The request was dropped, and three more companies were named: National Business Development, Atlantic Business Company and Success Business Services, or Development, the AUSA said.
Past 8:30 pm, with the lights still on, it was over. The case is US v. Cheedie, et al, 19-cr-833 (Marrero).
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