By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Thread Scope
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - Vulture
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Oct 26 – Daniel Hernandez a/k/a Tekashi 6ix9ine was sentenced to 24 months of total imprisonment in a proceeding live tweeted by Inner City Press before U.S. District Court Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.
Now Hernandez' co-defendant and car-jacker Anthony Ellison a/k/a Harv, already serving a long sentence, has been indicted again for a smuggle conspiracy while in the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The prosecutors on November 4 announced: unsealing of an indictment charging three current or former Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) employees, as well as eight former inmates of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (“MCC”), of conspiring to smuggle contraband such as drugs, alcohol, and cellphones to inmates at the MCC. Two of the BOP employees were also charged with obstructing justice. Four of the defendants were arrested today and will be presented before Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave later today. During the course of the scheme, in an effort to obtain a lesser sentence for ELLISON, GRIFFITH-MCKNIGHT submitted a letter to the District Judge responsible for sentencing inmate and co-defendant ELLISON that falsely described ELLISON as a “model inmate” even though at the time GRIFFITH-MCKNIGHT was smuggling contraband to ELLISON and therefore knew he was anything but a “model inmate.” Relying on this letter from GRIFFITH-MCKNIGHT, the District Judge who presided over ELLISON’s sentencing remarked that ELLISON’s purported good behavior in prison was “impressive” and that “[u]nless this is some sort of Grisham novel, and people are all corrupt and making all of this up about [ELLISON], it seems to me that it’s unavoidable that [ELLISON’s] trajectory at the MCC contains a lot of good.”
Inner City Press went to the detention of release hearings of Griffith-McKnight, lead defendant Perry Joyner and another inmate, Valerio, and live tweeted it here and here (podcast here)
OK- detention hearing on David Valerio, US says he admitted wiring money to MCC prson guard to not search his cell
AUSA says Valerio admitted wiring to also indicted guard Mario Felciano. Magistrate Judge Cave says he will be detained OK- hearing on Corrections Officer Perry Joyner for allegedly bringing in contraband to the Metropolitan Correctional Center
Unlike briber Vslerio, detained, US is agreeing to release (ex) guard Joyner on $300,000 bond, no contact with nemed individuals. His mother is a C.O. as well. He is hiring a private lawyer.
Next up, the defendant Inner City Press focused on earlier today: "trying for a lesser sentence for [Harv] ELLISON, GRIFFITH-MCKNIGHT submitted a letter to the District Judge describing ELLISON as a “model inmate” even though she was smuggling contraband to him"
All counsel disappeared into Mag Court chambers. After a time, they returned. Judge said it was just to save time...
DOJ is agreeing to release this ex guard, unlike Harv Ellison and Valerio, on $150,000 bond.
Here's a photo of Griffith-McKnight's letter to Judge Engelmayer. The case was assigned to Judge Andrew L. Carter.
Jump cut to October 26 when this was docketed: "Minute Entry for proceedings held before Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr:Arraignment as to Anthony Ellison (6) Count 1s,3s and Starlin Nunez (11) Count 1s,2s held on 10/19/2023. Defendants arraigned and enter pleas of NOT GUILTY to the Superseding Indictment. Jury Trial & Selection set for 11/20/23 at 10 a.m."
On November 28, Inner City Press attended the trial, opening and then the prosecutor's critique. Counsel for Starlin Nunez referred to the cooperating witnesses as rats who made a deal with the Devil.
Later, outside the presence of the jury, the AUSA noted this, and argued that to compare the gravity of the cooperators' admitted crimes with those the defendants are being tried for is akin to nullification. Judge Carter said he would address things as they arose, that invoking the Devil might be inappropriate but the use of the word rat, at least in closing argument, probably was not. The trial continues.
The case is US v. Joyner, et al., 21-cr-673, (Carter). More on Patreon here.
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