SDNY COURTHOUSE, Nov 12 – A man charged
with illegally getting more than a hundred absentee
ballots in 2022, and sentenced in 2024 to three years
probation, was back in the U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of New York Magistrates Court on
September 2. Inner City Press was there, the only media in
the SDNY Mag Court.
Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave told
the defendant Louis Koch, You are charged with "accessing
voter registration services" for others' information in
New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Los Angeles,
Chicago - more jurisdictions that before.
The judge mentioned his use of Google
Incognito mode to try to hide his
tracks.
When he was previously arrested, he was
identified as a Democrat. On September 2, nothing was said
about that. Koch consented to detention.
On September 10 he pled guilty to some
charges: "Interim Hearing as to Louis Koch held on
9/10/2026. Defendant withdraws his previously entered plea
of not guilty to Violations 8 and 14 of the Violation
Petition, dated August 7, 2026, and now pleads Guilty to
those violations. Court accepts plea. Matter is adjourned
to October 1, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., for further proceedings
on violations. Defendant is Remanded."
On October 31 Koch's lawyer wrote asking
for no jail time on November 5, noting he only pled guilty
to accessing voter registration information in
Pennsylvania and using Google Incognito mode, and citing
autism. 7 page sentencing memo on Patreon here
On November 12 - notably, after the midterm
elections - the US Attorney's Office wrote in and asked
"that the Court extend Koch’s term of probation so that it
expires on November 18, 2028 or, in the alternative,
revoke Koch’s sentence of probation and sentence Koch to a
term of imprisonment at or near the bottom of the
Guidelines range of 3 to 9 months followed by a two-year
term of supervised release. Probation believes that
continued incarceration is necessary when considering the
Section 3553(a) factors, and recommends that the Court
revoke probation and resentence Koch to a term of six
months’ imprisonment followed by a two-year term of
supervised release." US Attorney's Office's 7 page
sentencing letter on Patreon here
Inner City Press will continue to
follow the case. It is USA v. Koch, 1:23-cr-658 (McMahon /
Cave)
