By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 21 – A multi-defendant case charging narcotics conspiracy and guns, with phone data dumps and complaints from Valhalla and Essex County jails landed in Federal court.
On February 5, 2021 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Katherine Polk Failla held a proceeding. Inner City Press covered it.
Assistant US Attorney Frank Balsamello described the range of discovery, and a parallel state case.
Defendants cut in, complaining of bad treatment. Judge Failla supported the idea of a discovery coordinator.
Jump cut to June 2022 when defendant Drilon Haxhaj, according to his lawyer, has been engaged in extensive plea negotiations - and therefore asks that his May 2022 suppression motion be held in abeyance. He pled guilty on June 27.
On July 21, 2022 Judge Failla held a proceeding with remaining defendants and Inner City Press went and attended, live tweeting here:
OK- now in multi-defendant drug case US v Haxhaj, et al, gallery half full, lady with United Nations bag...
Judge criticizes Murray Richman's associate for Richman's non presence. One defense lawyer is in the gallery with a wireless mic
One defendant says he doesn't have a copy of the superseding indictment. Now copies are passed to the defendants shackled in jury box; Marshals says they can take the copies with them back to jail
AUSA says new terrabytes of discovery is about murder, rivalry with another gang scatological names makes two UN-bagged supporters in the gallery visibly wince
There was more to be said. The superseding indictment names the murder victim as Isael Lagares, and the lead defendant as "White Mike."
The government said the one terrabyte of discover is largely social media. Judge Failla said they will meet again in 90 days.
The case is US v. Haxhaj et al., 21-cr-17 (Failla)
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