By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video
BBC - Decrypt - LightRead - Honduras - Source
SDNY COURTHOUSE, August 26 -- After scandals from inmates left without soap during the COVID pandemic to the death of Jeffrey Epstein, on August 26 it emerged that the Department of Justice aims to close the Metropolitan Correctional Center, at least temporarily.
But the MDC where they plan to move many inmates has problems of its own, including as Inner City Press has reported the recent death of a former DEA agent on the day he was convicted of child porn, here. We'll have more on this.
Back in March 2020, just before the COVID lock downs, during the guilty plea of Christian Navedo on March 3 to lesser included offenses involving gun possession and use in connection with a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, it emerged that he and other in the Metropolitan Correctional Center have had not visitors, or hot food or showers, for five days. Inner City Press reported it, here, then continued its inquiries.
On the evening of March 4, on Park Row behind the MCC, Inner City Press witnessed and filed a large group with identical rolling bags going into the MCC. Video here. It appears that the Bureau of Prison has brought in new staff.
On March 4, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox asked Navedo if these conditions impacted his ability to understand the proceedings and plead guilty with a clear mind.
"You mean, does it impact me?" Navedo asked.
His lawyer whispered to him, and he confirmed that his competence to plea guilty was not impacted.
On March 4 a defendant charged with violations of supervised release argued through counsel to Judge Fox that he should not be detained in the MCC as he would not received the 100 mg of methadone he is on. Inner City Press will have more on this.
The lack of visitors in the MCC arose on March 2 when Larry Ray appeared before Judge Fox; his Federal Defender said she had been unable to show him the government's video evidence.
Navedo's lawyer put into the record the MCC conditions, likening them to the conditions in the MDC in Brooklyn which have given rise in many cases to reduced sentencing. Here, Navedo has agreed to not appeal or otherwise collaterally attack any sentence below 327 months. The case is US v. Navedo, 19-cr-259 (Fox / Berman).
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