By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY MAG COURT EXCLUSIVE, Dec 2 - In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on December 2, a guilty plea was taken by Magistrate Judge Stuart D. Aaron from Chanette Lewis, charged with participating in schemes to defraud the New York City COVID-19 Hotel Room Isolation Program, to obtain fraudulent unemployment benefits, and to defraud NYCHA.
Inner City Press was there, the only media in the Mag Court. Thread:
Plea agreement has sentencing guideline of 46 to 57 months.
Judge Aaron: How do you plead?
Lewis: Guilty... It was only one month, April to May, 2020. Me and my co-Ds sold hotel rooms using wires. Then the NYCHA count, larger apartments - not for myself!
It emerged that the defendant used a COVID hotel call center, and information on doctors to book and sell rooms for health care workers to others. Also advertised on Facebook how to scam NYCHA- but disputes that anyone ever moved into the apartments. The Assistant US Attorney insists they did.
Also, the AUSA read out what the US would prove on unemployment fraud, but Lewis' Federal Defender pointed out she is not pleading guilty to that, saying it will be addressed at sentencing.
The plea was accepted; the sentencing is set for May 18 at 3 pm.
This case is US v. Lewis, 21-cr-729 (Kaplan)
An early co-D, also courtroom exclusive, 1st reported here: this COVID-19 fraud plea agreement is for a sentencing guideline of 33 to 41 months
Tatiana Daniel's hair is deep purple. At first this morning she said she was NOT prepared to plead guilty. 144 nights of stolen hotel rooms, with co-defendant working in the City's program
Tatiana Daniel falsely collected unemployment using 10 people's Social Security numbers.
Cell phone had fake COVID results; she got fraudulent PPP loans from the SBA - for her "illegal bootlegging operation."
Defense lawyer Ezra Spilke confers with AUSA Neff. Seems there's a problem with the plea agreement...
AUSA Neff: She is admitting overt act of selling fabricated COVID results on 7/20/21 and 8/2/21.
Spilke: Her spouse Tiana is here. (Only us 3 in gallery - the third apparently a colleague of Spilke).
Judge Kaplan will sentence on March 29, 2023 at 2:30 pm. Inner City Press will stay on the case(s).
The case is US v. Daniel, 21-cr-729 (Kaplan)
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