by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 8 – On May 9 DOJ announced the unsealing of two Complaints charging flight attendants CHARLIE HERNANDEZ, SARAH VALERIO PUJOLS, EMMANUEL TORRES, and JAROL FABIO with various offenses in connection with their years-long participation in smuggling narcotics trafficking proceeds from the United States to the Dominican Republic on commercial flights.
Inner City Press went to cover the presentment of Emmanuel Torres, before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Gary Stein. Thread:
Emmanuel Torres; he was arrested yesterday at 5:30 pm and has been in detention since
Judge: You have applied for publicly-funded counsel. Based on your affidavit, I approve it. You are charged in two counts: operating an unlicensed money transmission [transmittal] business, bulk cash from NY to the Dominican Republic. You evaded at JFK
[DOJ says these defendants had “Known Crewmember” status with the TSA which allowed them to pass through a special security lane at JFK... defendants smuggled approximately $8 million in bulk cash from the United States to the Dominican Republic.
Assistant US Attorney: We agree to release on $50,000 bond, mental health assessment, travel restricted at least for now to SDNY and EDNY Defense: We'd like him to travel beyond for work with pre-approval of Pre-Trial Services AUSA: The government does not object
Judge: You must surrender travel document and no new applications. Mental health evaluation and no contact with co-defendants or witnesses except in the presence of counsel. If you fail to appear in court, a warrant could be issued for your arrest....
The case is US v. Torres, et al., 24-mj-1724 (Stein)
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