By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY Courtroom Exclusive, July 14 – Alec Dupuis charged with selling deadly fentanyl resulting in the death of 24 year old Peter Krasniqi on August 11, 2020 had his condominium on West 56th Street in Manhattan raided and searched in December 2021.
On November 22, 2022 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jed S. Rakoff held his sentencing, after granting Inner City Press' request that Dupuis' heavily redacted sentencing memo be mostly unsealed.
On November 18, defense counsel refiled the sentencing memo onto ECF / PACER, which Inner City Press the same day published for all to see on DocumentCloud, here.
On July 14, 2023, for the same death of Peter Krasniqi, Ahrman Burke was up for sentencing before Judge Victor Marrero. Inner City Press was there. A letter from Krasniqi's family was read out, asking for the maximum sentence. But Burke was a cooperator, and the US Attorney's Office gave him a 5K1 letter, which was accepted. Burke cited the fentanyl death of his friend Alejandro Torres, and karma. He was sentenced to time served, which was three years.
The case is US v. Burke, 21-cr-550 (Marrero)
Here is what happened on back on November 22, 2022 thread:
All rise!
Judge Rakoff: Probation sets the guideline at 324 months and up, but 340 months is the maximum. Govt wants 240 months: defense wants time served or 11 month. I ordered the defense submission unsealed.
Dupuis' lawyer Ilana Haramati: He was high at the time, doing 100s of dollars of drugs a day... He could have taken drugs in the MDC, he could have gotten them. I am asking for time served, with six months of rehab.
Dupuis' lawyer: He was evaluated by Doctor Alexander Barday [who testified for Kevin Spacey against Anthony Rapp in recent #MeToo trial ]
Dupuis' lawyer: His mother left him unsupervised--
Judge: She is not before me for sentencing. This resulted in death. Dupuis' lawyer: It's tragic. But she's already served hard time.
Dupuis's lawyer: Retribution is not appropriate under 3553a. Judge: But just punishment is.
AUSA Thomas John Wright: Facts matter. He knew he was selling a drug that was not what it pretended to be, to maximize profit. This was amoral.
AUSA: This is inescapably grim. Judge: I agree. Time served is not sufficient. But why 20 years and not 10?
AUSA: He knew. There are warning ads about fentanyl in the subway. Judge: Also deadly reckless driving... You let this defendant plead to a lesser charge
AUSA: Here we have actual knowledge. Here is the letter from the victim's father: He was murdered by a monster. My wife lost a son and a piece of her heart. She texts him daily. Holidays are meaningless to us now.
Letter from Mark Krasniqi asked judge to imagine it happen to one of his loved ones.
Judge Rakoff: My brother was murdered in cold blood at 43, as he began a brilliant career. So missed by our parents, me and my other brother. But that's only one side of the story...
Alec Dupuis: It's a tragedy. The cooperator is the one who didn't tell the, uh, Peter. I was a kid all alone
Alec Dupuis: In MDC I get bullied and taken advantage of. Let me read my letter. I was addicted since 13. During COVID, my roommate left. I needed to do a line to get out of bed. I own part of a restaurant.
Alec Dupuis: Other MDC inmates sell drugs. I want to check into non residential rehab. Thank you.
Judge: These are societal problems the courts are ill-equipped to address. I must find the fair sentence.
Judge: He knew he was dealing a danger, disguised substance. I sentence him to ten years. [Some crying in court. Ongoing.] AUSA: We propose forfeiture.
Judge: I'm not going to order it.
Dupuis' lawyer: He requests Danbury.
***
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