By Matthew Russell Lee Exclusive Patreon Vlog
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SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 15 -- After scandals from inmates left without soap during the COVID pandemic to the death of Jeffrey Epstein, on August 26 it was reported that the Department of Justice would close the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
But on September 15 Inner City Press reported that the Bureau of Prisons will NOT close the MCC, but rather keep it open for on-trial defendants like Joshua Schulte, whose late-announced proceeding Inner City Press live tweeted, here. Podcast here. Vlog here.
Also to remain are detained witnesses. The issue arose when the potential for trial disruption or delay arose, for the second day in a row as reported by Inner City Press.
The MDC where they plan to move some inmates has problems of its own, including as Inner City Press has reported the recent death of a former DEA agent on the day he was convicted of child porn, here. We'll have more on this.
Back in March 2020, just before the COVID lock downs, during the guilty plea of Christian Navedo on March 3 to lesser included offenses involving gun possession and use in connection with a conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, it emerged that he and other in the Metropolitan Correctional Center have had not visitors, or hot food or showers, for five days. Inner City Press reported it, here, then continued its inquiries.
On the evening of March 4, on Park Row behind the MCC, Inner City Press witnessed and filed a large group with identical rolling bags going into the MCC. Video here. It appears that the Bureau of Prison has brought in new staff.
On March 4, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Kevin N. Fox asked Navedo if these conditions impacted his ability to understand the proceedings and plead guilty with a clear mind.
"You mean, does it impact me?" Navedo asked.
His lawyer whispered to him, and he confirmed that his competence to plea guilty was not impacted.
On March 4 a defendant charged with violations of supervised release argued through counsel to Judge Fox that he should not be detained in the MCC as he would not received the 100 mg of methadone he is on. Inner City Press will have more on this.
The lack of visitors in the MCC arose on March 2 when Larry Ray appeared before Judge Fox; his Federal Defender said she had been unable to show him the government's video evidence.
Navedo's lawyer put into the record the MCC conditions, likening them to the conditions in the MDC in Brooklyn which have given rise in many cases to reduced sentencing. Here, Navedo has agreed to not appeal or otherwise collaterally attack any sentence below 327 months. The case is US v. Navedo, 19-cr-259 (Fox / Berman).
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