By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - The Source
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 27 – Brooklyn rapper Dajahn McBean, also known as Jeezy Mula, entered a guilty plea on January 22 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He got a plea deal for a stipulated guideline of 63 to 78 months in prison. More on Patreon here.
On May 27, co-defendant William Valdez was up for sentencing before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, before SDNY Judge Katherine Polk Failla. McBeam was several times referred to as "the other gentleman."
Judge Failla inquired into a firearm enhancement but decided against it. After a break, she arrived at a sentence of 45 months, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Valdez spoke movingly on his own behalf.
On April 30 McBean had his sentencing, and Inner City Press covered it, here. Now docketed on May 4, the full order: "JUDGMENT IN A CRIMINAL CASE as to Dajahn McBean (1). THE DEFENDANT: pleaded guilty to Count One. ALL OPEN COUNTS are dismissed on the motion of the United States. IMPRISONMENT: Twenty-four (24) months, which the Court orders to run concurrently with any undischarged portion of Mr. McBean's sentence in the case in Westchester County Court assigned docket number 00157S-2019. In imposing this sentence, the Court has credited Mr. McBean pursuant to U.S.S.G. § 5G1.3(b) for 27 months of time previously served that will not be credited to the sentence in this case by the Bureau of Prisons. The court makes the following recommendations to the Bureau of Prisons: The Court recommends that Defendant be designated to a facility of an appropriate security level close to the New York City metropolitan area. The defendant is remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal. SUPERVISED RELEASE: Three (3) years. See SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF SUPERVISION. ASSESSMENT: $100.00 due immediately. RESTITUTION: $55,705.34. Name of Payee: Restitution order to follow. Special instructions regarding the payment of criminal monetary penalties: In accordance with a restitution order to be issued at a later date. The defendant shall forfeit the defendant's interest in the following property to the United States: $55,705.34 (Signed by Judge Katherine Polk Failla on 5/3/2021)."
Inner City Press live tweeted January 22 here:
Jeezy Mula a/k/a Dajahn McBean pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Inner City Press first reported the change of plea on Dec 28 here
Judge Failla: Are you being treated by a doctor? McBean: Did I ever go to a doctor? Judge: No, is your mind clear today, for this proceeding? McBean: Yes.
Judge: Do you waive your presence? McBean: Yes, I'll make this video. Inner City Press
Judge Failla: If you plead guilty, and I accept your plea, there will be no appeal of whether you committed the offense. Do you understand? McBean / Jeezy Mula: Yes, Your Honor. Judge Failla: The maximum term of imprisonment is thirty years in prison.
Judge Failla: Do you have other open cases? McBean / Jeezy Mula: The one in Westchester, and another in the Eastern District. Judge Failla: What is the status? McBean: Could my lawyer answer that? Lawyer: Open indictment in EDNY, I'm not the attorney of record. Defense lawyer: There is also a violation of supervised release proceeding before Judge Sullivan. Judge Failla: I remember that one. [Inner City Press too, here]
McBean / Jeezy Mula: Could I speak with my attorney one last time before the plea?
[Break]
They're back; Judge Failla discloses to McBean's counsel that she had a short discussion with AUSA Chan, about the signing of papers, going into the Office / Chambers, etc. All fine. Judge Failla: Do you admit to the forfeiture, $55,000? McBean: Yes, your Honor.
Judge Failla: You and the government have agreed to a stipulated guidelines range starting at 63 months, correct?
McBean / Jeezy Mula: Yes, Your Honor. Judge Failla: And you should receive credit for the time you are serving on this Westchester County case.
Judge Failla: You are agreeing not to appeal any sentence between 63 and 78 months, correct?
McBean / Jeezy Mula: Yes, Your Honor. McBean describes counterfeit check scheme, involving Manhattan
AUSA Andrew Ken-Wei Chan: We would show that the defendant and William Valdez were arrested after a car chase with debit cards in others' names. We have surveillance video of AMTs in the SDNY, text messages from Valdez' cell phone
Judge Failla: Mr McBean, how do you plead? McBean / Jeezy Mula: Guilty, your Honor.
McBean's lawyer: Can we put off sentencing in light of the EDNY matter?
Judge Failla: Might your client want to Rule 20 that case to over here?
Proceeding was over; guilty plea accepted.
Now on January 25, a sentencing date was set: "Set/Reset Deadlines/Hearings as to Dajahn McBean: Sentencing set for 4/30/2021 at 09:00 AM before Judge Katherine Polk Failla."
Document on Patreon here.
Inner City Press will aim to cover and live tweet the plea and subsequent proceeding.
Earlier, McBean seemed to have supporters in Garden City.
A document was Fed-Exed from there with a forged or satire court order that he should be released, it emerged on July 29 in a proceeding that Inner City Press covered, apparently exclusively.
McBean has two cases in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, before SDNY Judge Katherine Polk Failla and Second Circuit Judge Richard J. Sullivan, as well as an EDNY case on which he has yet to be presented.
On July 29 Judge Failla held a proceeding; Inner City Press covered it. After a routine interchange setting a briefing schedule of September 11 and 25 and October 2, Judge Failla announced that a false filing had been made.
She said a Federal Express package had arrived with a false signature of Judge Sullivan, saying that McBean was now a "supervisee." She said Judge Sullivan is "not amused," and asked McBean's lawyer Steven Gary Brill if he knew anything about it.
No, Brill said. AUSA Andrew Chan said he had been made aware of it by Judge Sullivan's chambers.
Judge Failla noted that McBean was laughing - Inner City Press could not see, since the CourtCall platform only has video for participants.
On October 13, the next proceeding was scheduled. But on that very day, the US Attorney's Office wrote in to postpone it to October 30, "because of the defendant's move to another facility." Judge Failla granted it. Inner City Press said it would continue to cover the case - and it has.
On October 30 at 9 am, Judge Failla held a CourtCall proceeding with McBean. She took an interest in how he will be able to review discovery in the MCC. McBean said he's seen a computer that takes CDs, but no USB. Judge Failla asked that the discovery by taken to his unit and not to the closed library.
She said it has become a pet project for her, prisoners' access to discovery in the MCC and MDC. (She is also handling issues in the civil case of Casiano in Auburn, which Inner City Press is also covering). The trial's set for April.
Later on October 30 Judge Failla held a proceeding for co-defendant William Valdez to change lawyers, if not go pro so. The change of counsel was approved. And so it goes.
Back in a June 26 video court appearance McBean resisted the mention of William Valdez and did not want the charges against him to be read out loud.
The proceeding was held by Judge Richard J. Sullivan, now on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals but still handling a number of other cases still on his docket covered by Inner City Press, which covers this one too, live tweeted:
Judge Sullivan: Mr. McBean appeared before me and denied the violations, and asked for a stay pending resolution of the state charges. I heard he pled guilty to assault and is awaiting sentencing.
McBean: Excuse me your honor, if I already talked about the charges with my lawyer, do you have to read them?
Judge Sullivan: I want to make a record. You interacted with William Valdez. Do you admit or deny that allegation?
McBean: I deny.
Judge Sullivan: There's also conspiracy to commit bank fraud. This is also before Judge Failla. McBean: I deny. Judge Sullivan: Also aggravated identity theft. McBean: Also denied.
Judge Sullivan: I'll ask for periodic updates, every 30 days or so. Any questions Mr. McBean?
McBean: No your Honor.
Judge Sullivan: Hopefully this COVID thing will work itself out and we'll be back in court in person soon.
This case is US v. McBean, 17-cr-216 (Sullivan).
On May 8 McBean was late for a video proceeding before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Katharine Polk Failla.
And McBean wasn't late by choice. He is in Westchester County Jail in Valhalla, and the video connection was late.
When he got on, he pleaded not guilty to bank fraud charged in a case filed in 2020, but which dates back to allegations in 2018 and early 2019.
Assistant US Attorney Andrew Chan told Judge Failla that of four smartphone seized in January 2019, law enforcement has only been able to crack one of them.
Still, both McBean and his co-defendant William Valdez are purchasing 1-terabyte hard drive have the discovery material burned onto them.
Judge Failla said she will inform Judge Richard J. Sullivan, now on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals but who is still handling a McBean case and a number of other cases still on his docket covered by Inner City Press, of the day's proceedings. That case is 20-cr-226, US v. McBean (Failla).
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