By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNYLIVE EXCLUSIVE, August 25 - For taking and transporting Ashley Biden's diary from Florida to New York, guilty pleas on no notice were entered on August 25 by Robert Kurlander and Aimee Harris. Inner City Press was there, and live tweeted, here and below.
Before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave, first Kurlander then Harris were brought out of the holding cell by US Marshals, sat and pled guilty. Inner City Press' thread:
OK- suited defendant in Magistrates Court : US v Robert Kurlander, arrested at 7am.
Kurlander has a Florida lawyer, Kaplan. Judge: You are charged with stealing personal property and transporting interstate. [Ashley Biden diary]
Kurlander waives indictment. He plead GUILTY.
Kurlander is told, five year maximum. But what is the plea agreement? This ritual is heading there: his allocution, and reference to plea agreement letter. Judge took 2 AUSAs and Kaplan in back, sealed, before the plea. Why?
Judge Cave says there may be "restitution to victims"
There is a plea agreement dated August 18. Still not public. But Judge Cave says "It puts guideline sentence at...No, the plea agreement makes no guideline estimate." [Which is not the norm here in SDNY]
AUSA Kelly: He's pleading to conspiracy [18 USC 371] to transport stolen property in interstate commerce [Section 2314] There are payment records.
Kurlander: These items were stolen in Florida and I paid to have them transported to New York. I am sorry.
Judge Cave: I accept your guilty plea.
AUSA: Bail on $50,000 bond, can travel throughout the continental US. Drug testing (Kaplan seems to ask, Disregard first test).
Judge Cave: He can continue his self-employment. Kurlander: I surrendered my passport already. Control date Dec 8.
But wait there's more: Aimee Harris has just been brought in by 2 US Marshals for presentment (for taking Ashley Biden diary from Florida rental where she left it), after Kurlander plea. This time, a docket (case) number.
Harris charged similarly to Kurlander, a single conspirscy count. She waives indictment. She will plead guilty, her lawyer says.
[After Inenr City Press tweeted about the above, and the detail from Harris' allocution that she said "an organization" paid her $10,000, twice, for the property (diary) via her child custody lawyer, this DOJ press release, here.]
The case is 22-cr-457 (Swain / Cave)
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