by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 2 – For days Inner City Press had heard from its sources there would be a "takedown" on February 6, each SDNY Magistrate Judge would handle seven to 10 defendants.
Arrests happen at 6 am. So at 5:55 am Inner City Press tweeted it, first to X subscribers with the spoiler alert: the expectation was that each of the current or former NYCHA employees would be released on bond the same day.
And then hours later at 9:39 am the prosecutors announced it. Media rushed around reporting it. Inner City Press had it first, and after discretely waiting, published it first. Then this thread of presentments, here
On October 9, NYCHA defendant Joy Harris was on trial, the first trial. On the stand was an immunized witness, Mr. Singh, who said he twice paid bribed to Joy Harris. He described her saying, I need something; Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said for the record, rubbing his index finger and thumb together.
On October 17, Harris was found guilty by the jury of bribery and extortion under color of official right.
On February 26, 2025, Harris was sentenced to 41 months in prison.
That trial was USA v. Harris, 1:24-cr-00207 (Kaplan)
Now teed up for another NYCHA trial is Roberto Cartagena, initially charged with taking $12,500 in bribes, with the Johnson Houses cited. The trial is set for May 27 - and on May 9, the US Attorney's Office wrote it was providing 3500 material that night, "well in advance of trial."
But on June the AUSA wrote in, noting the request for a suppression hearing and proposing to push trial back to October 6.
This trial is USA v. Cartagena, 1:24-cr-516 (Gardephe)
Watch this site - and these feeds: X and X for subscribers.
And Substack here
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