by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Aug 21 – The day after fentanyl and China were denounced by all eight GOP candidates in their debate in Milwaukee, two defendants were brought shackled into a federal courtroom in New York, charged with conspiracy to important at least 200 kilograms of fentanyl precursors. Inner City Press was there.
Qingzhou Wang had recently changed lawyers, from a free Federal Defender to retained counsel Daniel Arshack.
Citing the change of counsel, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Paul G. Gardephe set another court date in the future, October 24 at 10 am.
The Assistant US Attorney described trying to brute-force crack the defendants' cell phones, two each.
Also charged in the case is the company Hubei Amarvel Biotech Co. LTD, which is unrepresented in the docket like a Last Name Unknown co-defendant also known as Er Yang or Anita.
Back on June 28 , counsel to co-defendant Yiyi Chen asked Judge Gardephe, "I've spoken to representatives of the Chinese Consulate. They're here in court today. They'd like to know if they can have a brief non-contact visit with Ms. Chen and the co-defendant if it's okay with the Court and the marshals."
On September 5, now Yiyi Cheng brought in as retained counsel Shaoming Cheng (whose only SDNY case this is).
On October 12, counsel to Qingzhou Wang wrote to Judge Gardephe complaining about the government's delay in providing funds for translations to Mandarin (initially justified by the possible government shutdown). Counsel remains "available" on October 24, though.
On October 24, Inner City Press was on the 7th floor of 40 Foley Square when the two defendants would brought up by elevator, in MDC tan, by Marshals. Afterward, "Status Conference as to Qingzhou Wang held .
On July 25, Judge Gardephe held a status conference and Inner City Press went, thread
On November 18, Judge Gardephe denied severance and heard of discovery and health issues. Inner City Press was there, from the thread
Judge: I deny Wang's motion to sever. Trial is set for Jan 13.
On January 14 Inner City Press went; jury selection continued, with the legal question eliciting "yes" answers from a Westchester defense attorney and former prosecutor. Wang had written in to the judge in Chinese (docketed); the US put in the docket exhibits from Google Ads, rejecting an ad for fentanyl.
On January 15, Yiyi Chen requested, and Judge Gardephe granted, the right for the defendant to have her discovery laptop in Courtroom 105 during trial.
On January 17, Inner City Press was there amid testimony about a meeting on meth and fentanyl, thread:
AUSA: What were you buying from them? Witness: Fentanyl. Also chemicals for meth. AUSA: Please play the video 502 [mostly audio, of witness talk drug shop with the defendants]
After a break, more audio played for jury. Chen: We can ship it to Mexico, but it has to go through America Rodriguez: Mr Wang is the boss, right? Chen: There is another boss in Japan
AUSA: Did you end up meeting this other boss, during the meeting in Bangkok? Rodriguez: Yes, by Facetime.
Jump cut to January 29, when the US proposed to Judge Gardephe to add more to his answer to the jury question, Does supplying chemical constitute manufacturing?" Judge Gardephe denied the US motion to supplement his answer.
On January 30, a mixed verdict: "JURY VERDICT as to Qingzhou Wang (2) Guilty on Count 2s and Yiyi Chen (3) Guilty on Count 2s. Qingzhou Wang (2) Not Guilty on Count 1s and Yiyi Chen (3) Not Guilty on Count 1s." They will be sentenced in May and June - and they remain in detention...
On April 16 the US Attorney's Office wrote in asking for forfeiture of $67,168.25 from Wang, and two domain names from Chen.
On June 5 the June 26 sentencing of Wang was pushed to August 21 after his lawyer said he just learned that when he was just days old he was sold for $400 by his biological parents to his adoptive parents in a remote village of China; counsel wishes to explore it.
On June 26 "as to Qingzhou Wang, Yiyi Chen. Defendants' Rule 29 and Rule 33 motions (Dkt. Nos. 135-136) are denied. (Signed by Judge Paul G. Gardephe on 6/24/2025)."
On July 21 Wang asked for three years on August 21.
On August 18 Inner City Press went to cover Yiyi Chen's sentencing at 3 pm. The defendant and defense counsel, who had filed a letter that morning, were there, as was the prosecutors and others. But the sentencing was pushed back to Friday, August 22...
Inner City Press went on August 22, for more than two hours. Thread. She declined, twice, to speak. Judge Gardephe sentenced her to 15 years. Afterward into the elevator in shackles, stoic still. She is 33 years old, has no children, her cancer-ridden mother in Wuhan saying if only she hadn't been trapped there during the pandemic...
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
The case is USA v. Hubei Amarvel Biotech Co. LTD, et al., 1:23-cr-302 (Gardephe)
More details on Substack here
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