by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY EXCLUSIVE, March 13 – A Republican District Leader in the 81st Assembly District in The Bronx has been indicted for accepting bribes to give out poll worker jobs, as an employee of the Board of Elections.
On August 27 at 2 pm, Nicole Torres was brought by U.S. Marshals before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. Inner City Press was there, the only media in the SDNY Mag court.
The Assistant US Attorney agreed to release on unsecured $50,000 bond, with a next conference before District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil set for September 10 at 3 pm. The now unsealed indictment alleged that Torres "illegally demanded payments from Bronx residents to herself and a local organization in exchange for selecting individuals as poll workers." Full indictment on Patreon here
On September 10, Torres was arraigned by Judge Vyskocil in a nearly empty courtroom. Inner City Press was there, from the thread:
Judge: You are charged in 7 counts. How do you plead?
Torres: Not guilty. AUSA: We have bank records and some body-worn camera footage, ten devices and some iCloud accounts.
Judge: Inform me by Dec 10 if there will be defense motions. Conference on Dec 17.
Judge: I anticipate that on Dec 17 I will set a trial date, probably in February 2025.
But on December 9 the US Attorney's Office wrote in to cancel the December 17 appearance.
And on March 13 the US Attorney's Office submitted a joint letter to schedule a guilty plea proceeding for April 16 at 2 pm.
The case is USA v. Torres, 1:24-cr-499 (Vyskocil / Aaron)
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