by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 20 – Back on February 17, DOJ announced it had charged JONATHAN GHERTLER with engaging in a sophisticated scheme to impersonate senior leaders of two Manhattan-based investment firms, resulting in over $1 million in losses to their portfolio companies, and impersonating a partner of a global law firm on telephone calls with federal agents who were investigating the scheme. GHERTLER was arrested yesterday and will be presented in the Middle District of Florida
On March 23, 2023 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn held a proceeding with Ghertler. Inner City Press was present, the only media in the Mag Court, and covered it.
Ghertler was in the yellow prison jumpsuit of Essex County Correctional Facility. His appointed defense lawyer consented to detention, but asked for a recommendation that he be moved to the MDC in Brooklyn. She said that Essex, a state facility, has no law library.
Judge Netburn said she would look into that before making any recommendation. Ghertler's next proceeding is to be before the assigned District Judge Edgardo Ramos on April 20.
Inner City Press went on April 20 - and the Assistant US Attorney said they had a "network intrusion warrant," which he explained to mean the right to send the target an email that, when opened, sends information back to the government. That is, a warrant to phish and hack.
Ghertler is charged with using the Jeffrey Epstein scandal - which now in its civil case will allow depositions of JPM Chase's Dimon and Jess Staley -- to extort funds.
Ghertler's lawyer said there are guilty plea discussions but that her client, appearing again in the yellow Essex jail jumpsuit, needs time to review the discovery.
The US Attorney's Office has responded that Essex County Correction Facility has a law library with LexisNexis - not connected to the Internet, refreshed every three months. Inmates are said to get a tablet computer, but it will not accommodate discovery on thumb drives.
The next conference is set for June 29 at 11 am. Inner City Press will stay on the case.
More on Substack here.
The case is US v. Ghertler, 23-cr-100 (Ramos)
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