By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Aug 25 – Back on September 22, 2020 Erdal Dere and Faisal Khan were arrested for wire fraud related to art and antiquities. Inner City Press live tweeted it.
On October 20, 2020 U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Loretta A. Preska to whom their cases have been assigned held a proceeding. Inner City Press covered it.
First, the background:
ERDAL DERE of Fortuna Fine Arts and FAISAL KHAN were presented before Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn on September 22. Judge Netburn: Have you agreed on a bail package? AUSA: Can we have a minute?
Judge Netburn: I can put you in a separate room. Assistant US Attorney returns, says SDNY US Attorney is offering bail - just wants to know which of defendant's two Upper East Side properties is the $3 million one. It's the 78th Street address.
AUSA: Release on his own signature today, two weeks for the rest. The agents already have his passport.
Judge Netburn: I approve the proposed bail conditions. $500,000 bond, one co-signer, secured by residence on 78th Street.
On October 20, 2020 Dere had attorney Elliot Sagor, and Khan had attorney Michael Tremonte. The next conference was set for January 20, 2021, with time excluded under the Speedy Trial Act for the production of discovery.
Jump cut to August 25, 2023 - Inner City Press was in the Magistrates Court, again presided over by Judge Netburn, when Khan came in to quietly plead guilty to a single count. Sentencing is set for November 29 before Judge Preska, but the AUSA did not know the time. There were cordial greetings all around. Antiquities are a different type or pedigree of crime.
The case is US v. Dere, et al., 20-cr-501 (Preska)
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