By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY MAG COURT EXCLUSIVE, July 15 - In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on July 15, a detention or release proceeding was held by Magistrate Judge James L. Cott on a defendant charged with trafficking 20 guns into New York City. Inner City Press was there.
The US Attorney's Office had announced: "BRANDY ARIAS was charged with firearms trafficking and traveling interstate with intent to engage in firearms trafficking, in connection with her illegally selling firearms in the Bronx, New York. ARIAS was arrested yesterday and will be presented today before Magistrate Judge James L. Cott in Manhattan federal court."
During the proceeding, with Inner City Press the only media present, the Assistant US Attorney emphasized Arias' trips to Florida and the Dominican Republic. Judge Cott was not convinced, and took the AUSA to task for interrupting or seeking to interrupt his ruling. Whatever was late proffered was not considered, and it does not appear that any appeal has been taken.
The US Attorney's Office says, " From about March 2022 to July 2022, BRANDY ARIAS illegally sold twenty firearms, as well as ammunition and magazines, to an undercover law enforcement officer in the Bronx, New York. These sales occurred on eight different occasions, including in the middle of the day near a residential building and outside of a fast-food restaurant. As part of the scheme, in or about June 2022 and July 2022, ARIAS traveled between New York and Florida for the purpose of obtaining firearms to illegally resell in New York. On at least two occasions shortly after traveling to Florida, ARIAS sold firearms to the UC in the Bronx. On July 14, 2022, ARIAS met the UC outside of a fast-food restaurant in the Bronx with the intent to sell the UC an additional firearm. At that time, ARIAS was arrested."
There followed in the Mag Court after Ms. Arias another defendant for whom the AUSA requested, and got, the entire proceeding and docket sealed, "to leave things open." We'll have more on this.
The docketed case is US v. Arias , 22-mj-5818 (Cott)
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