By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTROOM, Nov 19 – In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on November 19, a detention proceeding was held by Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang on a defending brought in from the Dominican Republic the night before.
Willie E. Dennis, formerly a lawyer at K&L Gates, is charged with cyber stalking. At first the US Attorney's Office was OK with his release, but them things switched. Inner City Press live tweeted it here:
Willie E. Davis is currently in FBI custody in 290 Broadway. He has been assigned a Federal Defender, who has spoken 3 or 4 times today with Dennis by phone.
Judge Wang: Why is this not in person? AUSA: He arrived from outside the US, we don't know his vax status.
US says: "DENNIS, a U.S. citizen, was arrested this week in the Dominican Republic... He engaged in a campaign of harassment, intimidation, and threats against multiple individuals, including other partners, who worked at the [K&L Gate Law] Firm."
Dennis owns a multi-family building, and property in the Dominican Republic, but he has debts. He is being given a publicly-funded Federal Defender.
AUSA: He was arrested in the Dominican Republic on Nov 16 and arrested in the US yesterday. Judge Wang: You are charged with four counts of cyber-stalking.
AUSA: We are agreeing to bail on a $200,000 bond. Location monitoring. Stay away from K&L Gates, its offices and employees and their family.
AUSA: We ask that he not open any new email accounts or phone numbers. Federal Defender consents to that. Notes that Willie Davis told Pre-Trial he uses marijuana. Judge imposes drug testing.
Judge Wang; Defendant would need two negative [COVID] tests to get the GPS bracelet fitted. Defense: They have his credit cards, cash and wallet. All he needs is his keys and ID.
Now the US Attorney's Office says there should be no release until co-signers sing the bond. Willie Dennis' Federal Defender: GPS is not even needed. Mr. Dennis did not fight extradition. By bad luck he's now facing a weekend in prison
Federal Defender: Mr. Dennis' home in Harlem is being renovated and he lets the workmen in all the time, hardly what one would expect if he had a lot of money hidden there to flee with.
Judge Wang: The time has come: what is his vaccination status? Federal Defender: He is not vaccinated. He has worried about a heart condition.
Judge Wang: I'm not sure if it's make or break, but see if you could get a third party custodian for the weekend
Federal Defender returns and says, At this point we are willing to do anything to get Mr. Dennis released.
Judge Wang takes a break and returns, to rule: "I am accepting recommendation he be detained until fitted with a bracelet or co-signers can sign the bond."
This case is US v. Dennis, 20-cr-623 (Schofield / Wang)
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