SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 12 – During the trial that convicted Tony Hernandez, the brother of Honduras' president Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH), on all four counts of guns and narcotics trafficking and false statements, the Honduran National Police came up again and again in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
On June 29 SDNY Judge P. Kevin Castel held a bond hearing on Otto Rene Salguero Morales. Inner City Press live tweeted it, now here.
Now on July 11 Ronald Salguero's new lawyer has filed a supplement to his bond application which for some reason was previously under seal. Both documents on Patreon here. From the argument: Ronald surrendered "in good faith" in Guatamala, expecting his case to proceed expeditiously. Now due to COVID-19, it cannot. But is the answer to free him? Watch this site.
Early on July 6, Otto's but not longer Ronald Salguero Morales' lawyer Robert Feitel wrote to Judge Castel: "Re: United States v Ronald Salguero Portillo, S5 15 Cr. 379 Dear Judge Castel, I am writing to advise the Court that Bonnie Klapper, Esquire will very shortly be entering a formal appearance on behalf of Ronald Salguero Portillo and that I will thereafter be moving to withdraw from this case. I was notified by Ms. Klapper that she has been able to arrange a legal telephone call with the defendant at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in the next two day to finalize the matter of representation and that she anticipates immediately thereafter filing her notice of appearance. As the Court knows, there is a bond motion scheduled in this case for later this morning. After consulting with Ms. Klapper, she has asked me to request an adjournment of one week for the hearing on the pending motion. The prosecutors in this case have been advised of the pending change of counsel and do not oppose the requested continuance. and in this case. I believe that it would be best for Mr. Ronald Salguero Portillo’s permanent counsel to handle this matter before the Court. For all of these reasons, the defense respectfully requests that this continue the currently scheduled bond hearing. Respectfully submitted, Robert Feitel."
Bonnie Klapper used to be an EDNY prosecutor; she "took down the Norte del Valle cartel." Watch this site.
On June 22 Judge Castel arraigned Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, charged with cocaine importation and machine guns. The sealed complaint says the CC-4, Juan Orlando Hernandez, "told Fuentes Ramirez that he was interested in access to the Laboratory in part because of its proximity to a port in Honduras... CC-4 told Fuentes Ramirez that Hernandez Alvarado (CC-4's brother) was managing drug trafficking activities in Honduras."
On June 22, Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez pleaded not guilty.
The Assistant US Attorney, now under Audrey Strauss, said they are ready to provide the defendant with discovery material.
The defense lawyer said, The issue is how my client will be able to get and review the info while in MCC jail
The proceeding was very short - a new conference will be held once Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez has reviewed discovery. He wants better medical treatment in MCC jail. Inner City Press will continue to cover this and related cases. All questions to the UN, where Antonio Guterres and spokesmen bragged of getting $50,000 from JOH's Honduras, presumptively some Chapo funds, have gone unanswered. Stephane Dujarric won't even take the questions, including about his role in working with Sri Lanka war criminal Palitha Kohona and UNCA to oust Inner City Press, story here, Kohona here), from one dictatorship to another the UN continues.
On June 19, Ronald Enrique Salguero Portillo appeared before Judge Castel. Judge Castel began by saying it is not tolerable for the two cousins Salguero to have the same lawyer, Robert Feitel. Judge Castel gave them 10 days to find a new lawyer.
Now Ronald's lawyer says he is NOT asking for bail today, would rather wait for a report to be conclude.
Ronald Salguero pleads not guilty to drugs and machine gun charges. Judge Castel asks: If I were to release him, wouldn't be then be detained by immigration?
Lawyer Feitel: That's doesn't always happen.
Judge Castel: Why would a Federal judge release a person not in this country legally?
Defense lawyer Robert Feitel: My client needs to be out of jail to prepare his defense.
Judge Castel: I'm not going to adjudicate a bail application that is being deferred. Let me hear from the government about discovery.
AUSA: The parties are negotiating a protective order.
Judge Castel: Let's set a conference for two weeks hence.
Time is excluded; Robert Feitel says he has spoken to both of his clients. In 2 weeks, he should have only one. Watch this site.
On June 3, two days before Tony Hernandez' already postponed sentencing set for June 5, his new lawyer asked for another extension to July 6 - and says that probably won't be enough: "Re: United States v. Juan Antonio Hernandez Alvarado 15 Cr. 379 Dear Judge Castel: I represent Mr. Hernandez Alvarado. I write to request that Mr. Hernandez Alvarado’s sentencing, currently scheduled for June 5, be adjourned for at least a month."
Now on June 4 Judge Castel has postponed the sentencing until September 16: "MEMO ENDORSEMENT as to Juan Antonio Hernandez Alvarado (2) on [161] LETTER MOTION addressed to Judge P. Kevin Castel from Peter E. Brill dated June 3, 2020 re: Request to Continue Sentencing. ENDORSEMENT: Sentencing is adjourned until September 16, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. (Signed by Judge P. Kevin Castel)." Justice delayed is justice denied. Inner City Press will stay on the case.
On May 27 it emerged that co-defendant Mauricio Hernandez Pineda has another free / taxpayer paid Criminal Justice Act lawyer: "NOTICE OF ATTORNEY APPEARANCE: Jennifer Rushing Louis-Jeune appearing for Mauricio Hernandez Pineda. Appearance Type: CJA Appointment." Where did all his money go?
This while still-free President Juan Orlando Hernandez, implicated in the case, is now promoting hydroxychloroquine as countering Covid-19, and seeks $340 million from the IMF, here.
Also during Tony Hernandez' trial, the drug ledgers of one Nery Orlando López Sanabria a/k/a Magdaleno were used by the SDNY prosecutors.
Here is an Inner City Press tweeted photo of notebook mentioning "JOH," in Spanish. Inner City Press has repeated asked the United Nations, in New York and Geneva, for comment. Dead silence.
A week after the Tony Hernandez verdict, Magdaleno was murdered in a supposedly maximum security prison in Santa Barbara, Honduras.
The video are very troubling [WARNING] including the guards letting the killers in, here.
On October 27 a publication in Honduras said the UN office of human rights has said nothing. But nothing had been emailed out to its press list, and nothing could be found on its website in Geneva - it turns out news it doesn't want anyone or at least not the drug funded dictators it answers to see it, it puts on obscure sub-sites, see below.
At 9 am on October 28 Geneva time Inner City Press in writing asked UN "High Commissioner for Human Rights" Michelle Bachelet and her spokesman Rupert Colville this: "Hello, this is a Press request for OHCHR / Bachelet comment on the murder, on video, in Honduras of 'Magdeleno' whose drug trafficking notebook were used in recent SDNY conviction of Presidential brother Tony Hernandez, a trial Inner City Press covered every day. See video of killing here.
More on Patreon here.
Inner City Press which covered the trial daily has asked the UN for the comment of SG Antonio Guterres who met with JOH in September 2019 and did not even mention corruption, much less drug trafficking.
On October 26 after the murder and release of the video, Inner City Press went to (try to) pose the question to Guterres. The response? Video here. Three UN security vehicles, and even a publicly funded NYPD detective, "protecting" Guterres who already wastes untold public funds on security. Disgusting. A protest has been called for, and is needed - @InnerCityPress response here. More on Patreon here.
Inner City Press on October 18 asked the defendant's lawyer Omar Malone about this client's post arrest statement, the admitted murders by the cooperating witnesses, and upcoming sentencing submission. Video and answers here.
