Man Guilty of Shipping Stolen Cars from The Bronx to West Africa Has Pro Se Letter Withdrawn

Man Guilty of Shipping Stolen Cars from The Bronx to West Africa Has Pro Se Letter Withdrawn by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 26 – A Queens landlord jailed on charges of defrauding COVID programs of $2.2 million was in criminal court in 100 Centre Street before Justice Michele S. Rodney on June 25. The issue was the source of her bail money. The prosecutors alleged she had used a "straw donor" with a recently opened account in Valley National Bank to pay the bail - thus, she remained detained.    Out in Jackson Heights, tenants of the buildings she managed have complained of deteriorating conditions. She herself had the air of a well-weathered tenement.    The last case of the day for Justice Rodney was also said to be the last case of the career of the Legal Aid lawyer who had it. Only his client was not all-in on pleading guilty.     He was asked about a sharp object; he said he hadn't had one, had only gotten into a physical altercation.    It's an "in concert" theory, the retiring lawyer said. In concert with his brother, who already pled guilty, Justice Rodney pointed out, that case is over. She mulled putting the change of plea proceeding over as well.     The retiring lawyer asked for more time. It was past 5:40 pm when the defendant finally, and haltingly, pled guilty. Sentencing is set for July 30, presumably with another lawyer. Two men charged with using a South Bronx auto transport firm to try to move stolen luxury vehicles from the US to West Africa are scheduled to stand trial.    On September 16 they appeared with the lawyers before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Analisa Torres. Inner City Press was there, the only media in the courtroom.    One defense lawyer only recently joined the case, replacing a Federal Defender, and requested to push the trial back from February 10 into May. The other defendant did not want such delay, and said he'd like to have his case severed and tried separately.    Judge Torres agreed to move the trial back to May 12 - but told the second defense lawyer that she was unlikely to grant any severance motion. Jump cut to April 28, 2025 when counsel to defendant Fofanah wrote in that while a plea offer has been made, his mother-in-law was taken to the hospital by ambulance - and asked to delay the May 12 trial date by 60 days.  On May 19 co-defendant Haidara through counsel wrote in and asked for probation on June 2. On May 20, Judge Torres set a change of plea for co-defendant Fofanah on May 27. But it did not happen, and on June 2 Fofanah's counsel wrote is saying he hopes to have a definitive answer regarding whether there will be a disposition by June 6 - so his filing is due then. Fofanah pled guilty on June 18, 2025. Then a long delay in sentencing, for both. On March 16, 2026 the US Attorney's Office wrote in about Haidara, a 2020 incident in New Jersey where checks for an auto were bounced. Both exhibits are sealed. The US is requesting 46 to 57. On April 24 defense counsel wrote in, with heavy redactions, asking for less than a year so that Haidara will not be deported. Co-defendant Fofanha asks for "a sentence well below the 5 year Guidelines recommendation," and mentions five years probation. On April 30 the US Attorney's Office wrote in asking for 60 months on Fofannah.  Both will be sentenced on May 4. Fofanah got eight months, Haidara 10. On June 25 Haidara's lawyer submitted an almost entirely redacted letter asking for a 90 day adjournment of surrender for medical reasons, to October 5. On June 26 Fofanah's lawyer withdraw his client's pro se request to convert his eight months prison sentence to home confinement, but did ask for a postponement of surrender into September. The US, he said, is opposed.  The case is  USA v. Haidara, et al., 1:24-cr-85 (Torres) *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com SDNY Press Room 500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2024 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com