by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 31 – For days Inner City Press had heard from its sources there would be a "takedown" on February 6, each SDNY Magistrate Judge would handle seven to 10 defendants.
Arrests happen at 6 am. So at 5:55 am Inner City Press tweeted it, first to X subscribers with the spoiler alert: the expectation was that each of the current or former NYCHA employees would be released on bond the same day.
And then hours later at 9:39 am the prosecutors announced it. Media rushed around reporting it. Inner City Press had it first, and after discretely waiting, published it first. Then this thread of presentments, here.
On May 6 another felony plea, to a higher bribe amount: Juan Mercado, for bribes of $329,300. He was be sentenced on October 1 at 2:30 pm by Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
On September 17, Mercado's counsel wrote in asking for a year of home detention.
There was a Fatico hearing; the sentencing was held on January 31. Inner City Press was there, thread.
Mercado got 48 months, the highest yet in the 70 cases, 40 sentenced. Judge Caproni said one sentence of a year's probation, for bribes over $50,000 and obstruction, was an outlier....
This case is USA v. Mercado, 1:24-cr-279 (Caproni)
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