By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 12 – Gerald Migdol, a lawyer who develops real estate in Harlem, was arrested early on November 19, 2021. Inner City Press covered his arraignment and when he was freed on $250,000 bond.
On April 12 the other shoe dropped when New York State Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin was indicted. Announced were a noon press conference by US Attorney Damian Williams and a presentment in the SDNY Magistrates Court, both of which Inner City Press will cover.
Back in November Migdol was brought before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang on the afternoon of November 19, in blue jeans. Inner City Press was there, in the gallery.
As it happens, Judge Wang is also on duty on April 12, 2022.
The Office of the US Attorney, being publicly sworn in at exactly that time at the Harlem Armory, agreed to Migdol's release on $250,000 personal recognizance bond.
Migdol has a gun, which must be turned into the local police precinct by November 23, and an expired passport due later.
According to the prosecutors, "Candidate-1 filed a certification with the CFB in or about September 2019, becoming a candidate for the office of the New York City Comptroller and opting in to the CFB’s matching funds program. Thereafter, MIGDOL and others conspired to obtain fraudulent contributions for Candidate-1 that would be used, among other things, to seek public matching funds from the CFB. .. Through these and other efforts, MIGDOL and others involved in the scheme procured nominee and other fraudulent contributions for Candidate-1’s campaign, which in turn were submitted to the CFB by Candidate-1’s campaign in connection with requests for at least tens of thousands of dollars in additional public matching funds."
The case is assigned to District Judge J. Paul Oetken, who has scheduled a conference for December 6 at 11.
Inner City Press will stay on the case.
It is US v. Migdol, 21-cr-706 (Oetken / Wang)
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