Prostitute For Killing John by GHB Quietly Pled Guilty Now 1 Gets Severance 1 Not so July 21

Prostitute For Killing John by GHB Quietly Pled Guilty Now 1 Gets Severance 1 Not so July 21 by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 10 – In a bar in midtown Manhattan on the evening of August 15, 2023 Stanley Stark met up with a woman and took her to a hotel at 1 am.  Once in the room he was drugged with GHB, the date rape drug, and his credit card, iPhone and wallet stolen.    He was found dead by hotel staff in the morning. The NYC Medical Examiner named the cause of death as "acute intoxication by the combined effects of cocaine, ethanol and gamma-hydroxybutyrate" - that is, GHB.   Summer Caster and her pimp Jalen Teague were arrested and indicted with the death penalty on the table, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  Inner City Press, which covers the SDNY courthouse closely, exclusively reported on their arraignment with two other women in the case, in chains, then on the transfer of one of them from Bedford Hills to the MDC.    With no notice, not in the day's docket on PACER, Summer Caster appeared on January 30, 2026 before the week's Magistrate duty judge Henry J. Ricardo - not in the normal Magistrates Courtroom 5A, but upstairs in Courtroom 21D.    Initially there was no one else in the gallery. The three defense lawyers, including learned counsel certified for death penalty cases, were summoned in to meet Magistrate Judge Ricardo in his chambers.  Later the two prosecutors went in. They all emerged, and the proceeding began.    Summer Caster was pleading guilty to all 10 counts against her, including Count 2 with a mandatory minimum of life in prison. Learned counsel intervened to say that that is also the maximum: Summer Caster is no longer facing the death penalty.   But why was she pleading guilty with a minimum of life in prison?   The AUSA asked the sentencing not be set for a full six months in the future, then asked that no date be set, nor pre-sentencing report order at this time.    The CJA lawyer said off-handedly that the proceeding should not be docketed. On February 10 a superseding indictment was unsealed with three and not the four defendants, referring to Caster as "person known or unknown." On February 12 the three were before Judge Broderick; Inner City Press was there. In front, the blonde woman, now identified as the victim's widow. Also, at least five supporters for the defendants.  On the lead defendant, the US Attorney's Office is mulling asking for the death penalty. Judge Broderick said he may sever the cases. He set April 16 at 1 pm as the next appearance. On March 16 - after the US Attorney's Office tried to ex parte critique the reporting of Summer Caster's guilty plea, even after it dropped her from the superseding indictment, Megan Sterngast through counsel filed motion to sever her case "because a joint trial will result in prejudicial spillover that will deny Ms. Sterngast her right to a fair trial." The motion adds that "Ms. Sterngas had no knowledge of her co-defendants' profession." On March 27 Chelia Sanders moved for severance, noting among other things that Summer Caster "was the one who attempted to rob and drug Mr. Stark on the night of his death." On April 27 Inner City Press went to the three defendant status conference: Judge: So the death penalty request is before the Acting Attorney General? AUSA: I don't remember when AG Bondi left her job. We've asked for this to be expedited Judge: So, months. AUSA: As little as 2 months from ten days ago. Defense: Unlikely. It's a Wild West AUSA: It took only 1 month in the death penalty case before Judge Engelmayer [Inner City Press is covering that case too: Jeezy Mula / US v McBean]   But the other determination took eight months.. On May 15 counsel for the two remaining female co-defendants each wrote in that they do not intend to file any motions. By midnight, no letter docketed from Teague's counsel. On May 21, "LETTER by USA as to Jalen Teague addressed to Judge Vernon S. Broderick from USA dated May 21, 2026 re: Decision by the Department of Justice Not to Seek the Death Penalty. Document filed by USA." On June 3 the US Attorney's Office wrote it seeking to accelerate the case faster than the July 21 next date, which they say the defense wants to stick with. On July 10 Judge Broderick ruled: "Because there is a substantial risk that Sterngast will be prejudiced resulting in a serious risk that a joint trial would compromise her trial rights, Sterngast's severance motion is GRANTED. Because Sanders will not suffer prejudice from a joint trial with Teague, Sanders' severance motion is DENIED. A pretrial conference will be held on July 21, 2026. Counsel for Teague should be prepared to discuss whether or not he intends to file pretrial motions on behalf of his client, and the parties shall be prepared to discuss setting a trial dates in the first or second quarter of 2027." More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here The overall case is USA v Teague, et al., 1:25-cr-40 (Broderick / Ricardo) *** 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 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 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UN Rights Commish Volker Burns Bridges in Colombia Placing HRW Cronies There Staff Say

UN Rights Commish Volker Burns Bridges in Colombia Placing HRW Cronies There Staff Say by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack UN GATE, July 10 – How corrupt and decrepit has the UN system become under Antonio Guterres, in this case due to Guterres? Today's example is again from the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, to which Guterres appointed his unqualified crony Volker Turk more than two years ago.  From OHCHR staff - "Dear Matthew Russell Lee, Many thanks for exposing corruption in UN under Antonio Guterres and his cronies like Volker Turk   OHCHR under Volker Turk is known to be an epicenter of favoritism. In 2025 OHCHR Colombia lost half of our colleagues due to poor planning and waste of resources. Not only no manager was held accountable but two individuals were rewarded, Juliette de Ribero who led the  financial disastrous planning, got a D1 in Geneva and Scott Campbell was promoted to D1 in Bogotá. Both are former Human Rights Watch officials and friend of Volker Turk, Maarit Kohonen Sherif and Peggy Hicks. With only half of its staff and no field offices left many wondered whether the office needed an expensive D1 (relocated with his full family) or was it more logical to put a representative at P5 level, same as other presences in the region and try to preserve more colleagues employed. Geneva insisted on sending Scott Campbell, already rejected by the Colombian government in 2005 and 2017 and declared PNG in Somalia and Congo-amazing record. We know that President de la Espriella will review the mandate of OHCHR in Colombia and many fear he will close it down. We are afraid that OHCHR will only care about the future of Scott Campbell and some internationals finding new posts for them and national staff again will suffer the consequences of poor management. In OHCHR leave no one behind is just an empty slogan not applicable to national staff. Geneva only cares about the international staff, who are friends of Volker Turk. No one cares about us and about our families Amb Waltz, the ball is on your court." Fat chance.  So far, nothing from Mike Waltz, previously seen skydiving in France then on a lone Sunday show on CBS, unannounced - self-booked? Now he has blithely signed the UN Charter. July 4, after selfies on the ships in the harbor, how much did he pay in US taxpayers' money for the UN roof? Delays on FOIA. Meanwhile both Big Tony and Amina junketed on April 15 to the IMF which Inner City Press is accredited to cover, and at which it asked questions - but not of Tony, as UNCTAD denied Inner City Press to its "side event." The UN is dying, or being killed off. There's a new NextSG candidate, Maria Fernanda Espinosa. Two days ago she and her sponsor Antigua and Barbuda were sent a questionnaire about about this. So far, nothing. Watch this site. Inner City Press re-applied to re-enter the UN on June 19, 2025 - no answer at all from Melissa Fleming, Tel Mekel, Stephane Dujarric for six months, then a denial with no reason at all given. Today's UN is corrupt. *** 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 2006-2025 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

Two Defendants Charged with Selling Fentanyl One Called Big Bank 2d Gets 121 Months

Two Defendants Charged with Selling Fentanyl One Called Big Bank 2d Gets 121 Months by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 10 – Two defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics including para-fluorofentanyl argued for bail on July 1 before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Denise L. Cote. Inner City Press was there, the only media in the courtroom.    The first name defendant's lawyer pointed to three family members in the courtroom, saying one was a teacher in Brooklyn earning $35,000 a year. Judge Cote, however, focused on danger to the community and ordered both defendants detained. The co-defendant's nickname is "Big Bank," according to the indictment.  On March 17, 2026 Smith pled guilty, with sentencing set for July 10. On April 10, Aloudi pled guilty - with (release on) bail continued. On June 4 on co-defendant Levine, Judge Cote denied the defense's request to move sentencing from June 12 to the week of June 29, noting that Rule 32 was complied with. On June 8, Levine's counsel filed his sentencing memo, asking for the statutory minimum: 60 months. On June 12, he was sentenced to 70 months and four years supervised release. On June 26 Smith counsel's wrote in asking for a below guidelines sentence of 60 to 70 months on July 10. But on July 10 he got 121 months.  The case is USA v. Smith, et al., 1:25-cr-293 (Cote) *** 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 2006-2025 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com