by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 11 – Amid fentanyl deaths, beyond Chinese precursors, US Attorney Damian Williams on Wednesday said "we are also focused on addressing the devastation fentanyl brings to everyday people here in this District."
In a sit-down session with the press, he added that in 2024 "every overdose will be treated as a crime scene."
He cited "a heartbreaking case involving the overdose death of a baby at a daycare center in the Bronx."
Inner City Press is covering that 2023 case - but also a lower profile one, in which two defendants who sold deadly fentanyl to Christopher Matrisciani was allowed to plead down to crack sale.Andrew Affredou was arrested in connection with the overdose of Christopher Matrisciani on July 2, 2019 in a hotel room in Manhattan.
On September 29, 2023, Affredou came without notice before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang to plead guilty to a lesser included offense, crack dealing. Inner City Press was there, the only media in the SDNY Mag court.
Affredou, who had faced trial, got a plea deal for 8 to 14 months, no appeal if below 27 months. He took it. The sentencing is set for February 5, 2024 at 11 am.
On January 9, 2024 Christopher Mastrisciani's mother Sandra wrote to Judge Broderick, through Williams' US Attorney's Office and their active victims' unit, about Affredou, and his co-defendant George Sewell, sentenced on January 11, asking for the maximum sentence. She described her son, who began addicted while recovering from a crushed ankle, was assigned to a badly run halfway house in Bushwick and was attending Berkley College. She attached photographs.
She was in the gallery on January 11, as was Inner City Press. Thread here:
OK- now at fentanyl sentencing in US v Sewell. The decedant by overdose Christopher Matrisciani is here in a picture frame brought by his mother. US Attorney's Office is asking for 10 to 16 months
AUSA: This is his 17th time. Judge: Is Mr Matrisciani referenced in Paragraph 15 of the Pre Sentencing Report? AUSA: Yes. [The PSR is sealed]
Judge: These three other victims mentioned in the PSR, was there an autopsy? AUSA: No Defense: There is no connection between what my client has pled guilty to, and the death of Christopher Matrisciani. I feel terribly for his family but I'm advocating for my client
Defense: He wasn't dealing crack cocaine when he was out on pre-trial release. He's been given a 4 month time out in the MDC, a horrible place. His mother Vanessa is here.
Defense: He wants to move upstate with his sister. Judge: When was he in contact with his son? Sewell: I called but it did not work.
Judge: Has he been violent, assaulting a family member? Defense: Yes, with his sister, there was K2 involved. Judge: Even his family members are concerned. Defense: Containment is not the answer.
Sewell: Happy holidays. My goal is to be the best as I can. Judge: I will now sentence [Christopher Matrisciani's mother not speaking. As reported, she submitted two letters] Judge: You were tied by phone records to certain individuals who died of drug overdoses
Judge: All of the love Ms. Matrisciani had for her son wasn't enough, nor your mother's for you. [She is crying here in the gallery]
Defendant Sewell's mother just slid over on the courtroom gallery bench and patted the crying Ms. Matrisciani on the back. She did not pull away. Judge: I sentence you to 16 months then supervised release.
These are heartbreaking cases, and Inner City Press will continue to report on them.
This case is US v. Affredou, et al., 22-cr-238 (Broderick)
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