by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY Exclusive, Nov 17 – Mohammed Kassim tried to return marijuana he bought from a smoke shop at 1274 Castle Hill Avenue on March 13, 2023. They refused to take it back.
He returned on March 17 and lit the store on fire.
On November 17, 2023 Kassim was brought before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger to plead guilty - to possession of marijuana. While marijuana is now level at the New York State level, it is not at the federal level.
This was the SDNY prosecutors' way to finesse the arson charge. They indicated they will agree to a sentence of six months in a halfway house, but successfully opposed release on bond for the holidays.
In the gallery, along with Inner City Press, the only people were Kassim parents, with interpretation headphones on.
More detail and analysis on Substack here
The case is US v. Kassim, 23-cr-608 (Lehrburger)
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