By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 13 – The second and perhaps last shoe dropped Friday in the 1994 murder of then 12-year old Josette Wright in Putnam County, NY.
Anthony DiPippo was convicted of the crime; but later prisoner Joseph Santoro testified that Howard Gombert confessed the murder and rape to him.
DiPippo was found not guilty in a second re-trial (his initial lawyer had represented Gombert, hence ineffective assistance of counsel) and later won a $12 million settlement from the government.
Joseph Santoro took note. And, with Melodie Montefusco, arranged to demand part of the settlement - interest, he called it - from DiPippo. Both Santoro and Montefusco were indicted for extortion.
Santoro pleaded guilty and on February 3, 2022 was sentenced to 48 months, concurrent with an ongoing state bid. During the sentencing, to his credit, Santoro said "I'm not that great a guy, to be honest with you."
Now on January 13, 2023, Melodie Montefusco pled guilty before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause at the SDNY's White Plains courthouse, which Inner City Press also covers. She will be sentenced on April 14 by Judge Stephen Roman.
The case is US v. Montefusco, 23-cr-19 (Roman / Krause)
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