By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTROOM Exclusive, Oct 24 – In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on September 9, 2021 a detention hearing was held by Magistrate Judge Steward D. Aaron on Kimy Hakim, who was arrested on August 6 in Georgia and then spend a month being transported to SDNY.
But there's more. It emerged during the detention - or, as it happened, bail -- hearing that Hakim was previously arrested in Kenya. Inner City Press, the only media in the SDNY Mag Court, dug it up: "NAIROBI, October 13, 2008 – An American man was on Monday afternoon charged before a Kibera Court with trafficking cocaine worth about Sh8 million. Timy Hakim who was arrested on Sunday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as he was boarding a plane heading for Italy appeared before Kibera Chief Magistrate, Maureen Odera and denied trafficking in 1.9 kilograms of cocaine. His lawyer Cliff Ombetta applied for bail, but the prosecution objected claiming Mr Hakim might abscond."
In fact, it seems he did. Mr. Hakim, described as of Lebanese descent and having grown up in Senegal, is listed as having businesses in Benin and well as South Africa - and with getting a COVID Paycheck Protection Program loan of over $20,000, here. That's not the charge, though.
The Assistant US Attorney, mentioning not PPP but wire fraud and money laundering, urged the detention of Timy Hakim.
But Hakim's Federal Defender Ian Marcus Amelkin said he makes music videos for "African artists" and could live with his parents in Dearborn, Michigan.
Jump cut to May 13, 2022 when the September 19 trial date slipped, on the request of the Federal Defender(s) citing another trial before Judge Alkin K. Hellerstein. Judge Liman asked why this one was, in essence, taking a back seat to the other, which apparently involved a misdemeanor offer and a rejected non prosecution agreement.Ultimately, a fixed and final date was agreed to: December 5.
On October 18, this: "NOTICE OF HEARING as to Timy Hakim. A Change of Plea Hearing is scheduled for October 24, 2022 at 2:00 PM in Courtroom 15C, 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007 before Judge Lewis J. Liman."
And on October 19, music videographer and more Timy Hakim was OK-ed for publicly funded travel to his guilty plea: "TRANSPORTATION ORDER as to Timy Hakim. ORDERED that the United States Marshals Service furnish Timy Hakim with funds to cover the cost of travel between Dearborn Heights, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey, to travel on Sunday, October 23, 2022 to arrive before 1 PM; and it is hereby further ORDERED that the aforesaid expenses shall be paid by the United States Marshals Service. (Signed by Judge Lewis J. Liman on 10/19/2022."
On October 24, Inner City Press went to cover Timy Hakim's guilty plea. There was no one else in the gallery. Hakim admitted that he had impersonated a diplomat; then it was specified this was in connection with a romance scam. (There were also business enterprise schemes and a lottery scheme). His able Federal Defender pushed off sentencing until June 7 at 11 am to allow back surgery in February 2023; he noted that the Marshals are NOT paying for Hakim's return flight to Michigan.
Judge Liman said the statute doesn't allow for payment for such return flights, and asked for any case law to the contrary. Strangely, Hakim has agreed to over $600,000 in forfeiture.
Back on April 8, 2022 Judge Liman approved Hakim being released from condition to attend a concern in Madison Square Garden on April 28 with his client, Nigerian musican Damini Ogulu a/k/a Burna Boy. Burna made murky appearance at the UN with Deputy S-G Amina J. Mohammed (who backdated CITES certificates to send endangered rosewood to China - but now has immunity). We'll have more on this.
Previously in the nearly empty Magistrates court Hakim had a sort of mohawk dyed yellow, and got a new blue Covid mask.
As of November 2019 in South Africa, this: "Dear Timy Hakim, You walked out without paying your bill and refused to leave at check out time. You inconvenienced one of our arrival guests by leaving your room 3 hours late. Your childish and hysterical display at our reception desk was recorded and we reported you to the police for theft and damage to our room. You are not welcome back in this establishment nor are your dubious friends who have also been recorded."
Judge Aaron returned from a session with Pre Trial Services and said he would release Rivera on a $200,000 Personal Recognisance Bond, to be secured by $100,000 in cash or real estate - which he clarified could be the parents' home "if there is enough equity in it."
Back on October 12 he had not been released, pending full "perfection" of the bond - the posting of the lien. His Federal Defender asked Magistrate Judge Netburn for release, stating "over the weekend, conditions at the MDC deteriorated significantly. Due to electrical work, inmates were left with no water, spotty electricity, no hot food and a lack of adequate staff at the facility."
On October 13, Judge Sarah Netburn granted the request, and money to travel: "TRANSPORTATION ORDER as to Timy Hakim: it is hereby ORDERED that the United States Marshals Service furnish Timy Hakim with funds to cover the cost of travel between New York, New York and Dearborn Heights, Michigan following the satisfaction of his bail conditions, to travel on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 no earlier than at 12:30pm; and it is hereby further ORDERED that the aforesaid expenses shall be paid by the United States Marshals Service. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn on 10/13/2021)." See also, the strange case of US v. Johnson / John Doe, here.
On October 19 the US Attorney's Office asked now assigned Judge Lewis J. Liman to sign an order removing the requirement of confession of judgment, which they say is strongly disfavored in Michigan, for the subject premises, 26360 Timber Trail, Dearborn, MI 48127.
We aim to have more on this.
A hearing was set, and here's what happened: "Government to have the Responsiveness Review of devices completed and produced by March 4, 2022. Defendant's pretrial motions due 5/13/2022. Government's response due 5/27/2022. Defendant's reply due 6/3/2022. Motion Hearing (and oral argument if necessary) set for June 9, 2022 at 2:00PM in Courtroom 15C before Judge Lewis J. Liman. Jury Trial set for September 19, 2022 at 9:30 AM before Judge Lewis J. Liman. The Court, with consent of all parties, excludes time from January 20, 2022 until September 19, 2022 pursuant to the Speedy Trial Act, 18 U.S.C. 3161(h)(7)(A)."
This case is US v. Hakim, 21-cr-259 (Liman).
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