By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY Courtroom Exclusive, August 18 – Alec Dupuis charged with selling deadly fentanyl (resulting in the death of 24 year old Peter Krasniqi on August 11, 2020) and also mushrooms containing psilocin, had his condominium on West 56th Street in Manhattan raided and search in December 2021.
But he had heard the police were coming and had left. He had a airplane ticket to the UK, of which he is a dual citizen.
The authorities learned of the flight. His mother hired a lawyer and, after a few days, he turned himself in and had been detained since.
On February 4, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jed S. Rakoff held a bond proceeding. Inner City Press covered it, below.
On August 12, this was ordered: "A change of plea hearing is set for defendant Dupuis on August 18 at 2pm in Courtroom 14B. (Change of Plea Hearing set for 8/18/2022 at 02:00 PM before Judge Jed S. Rakoff.)."
Inner City Press went on August 18 and live tweeted it, here:
Ok- now at guilty plea of Alec Dupuis, charged with selling deadly fentanyl (resulting in the death of 24 year old Peter Krasniqi on August 11, 2020)
Judge Rakoff: You are being offered the lesser included offense of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, in any amount. Dupuis: Yes.
Judge: You signed a plea agreement. The guideline is 324 to 405 months -- Dupuis' retained cousel, former Federal Defendet Ser: 20 years is the maximum.
Judge: You have agreed not to dispute your role in the death by fentanyl, at sentencing. AUSA: Ask if he's a citizen [to disclose possible risks]
Dupuis: I was born in Manhattan. I plead guilty.
Judge: Sentencing on Nov 22. Adjourned.
Note: there were ten in the gallery, family and friends, one in a Sail Inn shirt.
Back on February 4, retained defense lawyer Ilana Haramati, who also represented movie producer Dillon Jordan on prostitution charges, argued to Judge Rakoff that a bond could be secured by her client's father, flush with money from a whistleblower case, she said.
But the Assistant US Attorney countered that the father had been in Chapter 7 bankruptcy and that the home, in Texas, is highly leveraged. He conceded that the US has an extradition treaty with the UK, but only for crimes on the books in both countries - in the same apparently.
Judge Rakoff said, part of Inner City Press' live tweeted thread of the proceeding, that "The extradition issue is serious. The huge penalties we have make foreign courts eager to avoid extradition to our Land of Mass Incarceration."
The defense lawyer tried, last stab, to say that Mr. Dupuis can execute a waiver of execution.
Judge Rakoff replied, I will reduce that as a consideration. But there is a glaring problem. He sold disguised drugs. It reflects an attitude to the law and of civilized behavior; he would be a danger. He cares so little that it led to the death of another. I deny the motion.
The final tweet in the thread was "Dupuis puts his hand over his (red) hair, glances back at the gallery. Now he is gone with the US Marshals." But, Inner City Press wrote, that will not be the end of the story.
And it hasn't been. On April 7 Judge Rakoff held an in-person proceeding, and Inner City Press was there. Dupuis through his lawyer Henry Mazurek said there are plea negotiations taking place.
Judge Rakoff said he inferred that from the lack of motions filed. He set a September 6 trial date. Dupuis' family / supports were in the gallery and Judge Rakoff apologized that the courtroom was needed for another, paused proceeding. Inner City Press will continue to cover the cases.
On Instagram, there is an account of an Alec Dupuis, who is aka-ed in the indictment as "nysgas" with a photo of a definition of gas as high-grade marijuana and quote from lyrics ("Smoking gas in a rental / She giving me mental") by Juicy J.
On March 1, this was docketed: "Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Jed S. Rakoff: Telephone Conference as to Alec Dupuis held on 2/28/2022. A telephone conference was held 2-28-2022 without transcription or recording. AUSA Thomas John Wright for the Government and Ilana Haramati for defendant were present. Defendants motion to adjourn the deadline for pretrial motions is granted. The deadline is adjourned to March 28, 2022. The conference set to March 11, 2022 is adjourned to April 7, 2022 at 2pm in Courtroom 14B. (Pretrial Conference set for 4/7/2022 at 02:00 PM."
This case is US v. Dupuis, 21-cr-707 (Rakoff)
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