Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Monday, May 5, 2025
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Friday, May 2, 2025
In Harvey Weinstein Retrial Miriam Haley Yells As*hole as Bonjean Asks of Clerks II Premiere
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
100 CENTRE STREET, May 2 – The retrial of Harvey Weinstein in New York State court began on April 23; Inner City Press was in the courtroom and live tweeted it, thread here.
On April 24 after a Getty witness, Elizabeth Entin recounted Miriam Haley shaken in 539 Avenue B, advising her to call a lawyer. Weinstein's lawyers objected then bought up health...
On April 29 there was Miriam Haley herself, narrating her 2006 diary notes from P to Lower East Side addresses over objections from Weinstein lawyer Jennifer Bonjean
On April 30 Miriam Haley was lead by the ADA through the events in Weinstein's loft, crying several times.
On May 2 Bonjean, on what may be her last day in the trial, asked Haley about accepting driver and flight to LA but skipping the Clerks II premiere - Haley yelled "fucking as* hole" and a break was taken.
More courtroom detail on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
Jury Found Charlie Javice and Olivier Amar Guilty Now She Asks New Trial Citing Rights
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 1 – JPMorgan Chase bought a start-up called Frank, which claimed to have 4 million students signed up to file their FAFSA forms, for $175 million. Then Chase learned Frank had only 300,000 customers.
On April 4, 2023, Frank founder Ms. Charlie Javice was brought before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses...
On March 28 Charlie Javice was found guilty - and Olivier Amar too.
On April 1 Judge Hellerstein held a long argument on imposing GPS bracelets pending sentencing - Javice's lawyer handed up an exhibit about Pilates - after which Judge Hellerstein ordered bracelets on both of them - for now...
On April 8, Judge Hellerstein issued a warning: "as to Charlie Javice, Olivier Amar. On March 28, 2025, the jury reached verdicts of guilty against each Defendant for each of four counts charged in this case. Since that time, several jurors have expressed concerns and discomfort from efforts by defense attorneys to contact them and inquire about jury deliberations. One juror's concerns caused the juror to contact the U.S. Marshal Service. Although post-trial communications and contact with jurors are permissible after the jury has been discharged, the New York Rules of Professional Conduct provide that such conduct is impermissible if: "(i) the communication is prohibited by law or court order; (ii) the juror has made known to the lawyer a desire not to communicate; (iii) the communication involves misrepresentation, coercion, duress or harassment; or (iv) the communication is an attempt to influence the juror's actions in future jury service." 22 N.Y.C.R.R. § 1200.0 Rule 3.5(a)(5). Attorneys should ensure that they and any person they might engage do not violate these rules. (Signed by Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein on 4/7/2025)"
Is this for post-verdict challenges?
On May 1 Javice's lawyers filed a motion for a new trial citing defending against two prosecutors and evidence precluded. Full filing on Patreon here
More / critique on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
This case is USA v. Javice, et al., 1:23-cr-251 (Hellerstein)
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room
Avi Eisenberg Crypto Guilty Verdict Amid Code Is Law Defense Now 52 Months on CSAM
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
SDNY COURTROOM, May 1 - In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on December 27, 2022 a complaint was ordered unsealed charging Avraham Eisenberg with commodities fraud. He was arrested in Puerto Rico.
Inner City Press is covering the case(s), often as the only media in the Mag Court. Related Mag Court live-tweeted thread (more on Patreon here) vlog here
On January 9, Inner City Press came across the CFTC case against Eisenberg, just filed (still with no title in PACER) and put it out on Patreon here.
More on Substack here.
On June 14, the judge held a proceeding to pick a trial date. Inner City Press covered it, thread here.
Inner City Press covered the trial (below) and on April 18 Avi Eisenberg was convicted. The US Attorney's Office announced "EISENBERG, 28, of Puerto Rico, was convicted of commodities fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; commodities manipulation, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. EISENBERG is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024."
But on May 11, Eisenberg's lawyer wrote in seeking to delay sentencing to the week of September 30 and consolidate it with sentencing on the CSAM charges they added on, as in US v. Josh Schulte (and US v. James Garlick). The US may still seek consecutive sentences, it was said.
On May 1 Inner City Press went to the sentencing and live tweeted it, here. He got 52 months on the CSAM, which the US said was for the crypto verdict as well.
Back on July 27 Eisenberg moved to dismiss and to suppress; he submitted a 7-page affadavit including "In the evening of December 26, 2022, I arrived by airplane at The Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Carolina, Puerto Rico, just outside of San Juan. 3. I disembarked the airplane with my luggage, a backpack and a suitcase. 4. I walked to the United States Customs counter. There, I was questioned by a United States Customs and Border Protection ("CBP") agent regarding the purpose of the trip I had just completed and general questions about the contents of my luggage. 5. The CBP agent directed me to a specific area several feet away from the Customs counter for additional questioning, and there another CBP officer opened the suitcase and backpack. I recall the agent pulling out the laptop and asking me to turn it on" - full affidavit on Patreon here.
Watch this site.
The complaint is on Patreon here
On February 3, Eisenberg in a yellow jump suit and feet shackled was brought into Magistrates Court at SDNY. He had, at least for the proceeding, the same lawyer Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith had in the North Korea sanctions case he pled guilty in: Brian Klein.
His parents were in the gallery and he looked at them, from two rows away. The prosecutor said that (unlike on Sam Bankman-Fried) they were seeking detention, and that he was consenting at least for now. Here is Inner City Press' thread.
There's more detail on Patreon here.
On February 14, there was a very brief arraignment, thread here
On November 2, 2023 Eisenberg's counsel wrote it seeking to push the December 4 trial to March or April. They said Eisenberg was moved from Essex to the MDC, and not allowed to bring his discovery material with him. The SDNY prosecutors acknowledge that's a problem, but want only a one-week delay to December 11 - or to April, citing an unrelated murder trial.
On November 3, it was moved to April 2024. And on November 21, Judge Amit Subramanian set out questions to be answered in early December, including "Whether any transaction involving USDC, even where it is used as a medium of exchange to purchase something that is not a commodity, is nevertheless a “contract of sale of any commodity” given the statutory and regulatory definitions (see Dkt. 37 at 5-6); Whether the indictment alleges manipulation as to the price of USDC, deceptive conduct affecting the USDC market, or deceptive conduct otherwise “in connection with” a contract of sale of USDC (see Dkt. 37 at 7–8); Whether the indictment alleges a manipulative device “in connection with . . . any swap” where Eisenberg was the party on both ends of the MNGO Perpetuals" - full order and questions on Patreon here.
On March 14, 2024, there was a hearing on motions in limine and experts. Inner City Press live tweeted here
AUSA: We're getting toward a "code is law" inference...Question as to terms of service, in defi, who the duty is between... They will be arguing Mango Markets should have seen this coming Eisenberg's lawyer: What he did was not criminal.
On March 28 there was the final pre-trial conference, and Inner City Press went, here:
OK - now in criminal crypto case of US v Avi Eisenberg, at final pre-trial conference. He was brought in by US Marshals
Judge: What about they Touhy request?
Defense: The Government only gave us their objections yesterday... They are trying to use our client's tweets against him. AUSA: We have been making nightly disclosures of 3500 material
There was some back and forth on logistical issues - will Eisenberg come forward to sidebars with the judge? Defense: No, that would be a circus [the Marshals would go up with him, highlighting that despite the suit he is in detention].
We will continue to cover the case.
In a parallel civil case, on February 24, 2023 there was an hour and a half argument in Mango Labs v. Eisenberg before Judge Lewis J. Liman. Inner City Press live tweeted...
Ultimately Judge Liman extended the TRO for two weeks, after for two letters by Tuesday, and said he will rule on March 10.
On March 10, Inner City Press was there, thread here
On March 27, one of Eisenberg's counsel wrote in supporting his subpoena of Mango Markets founders Dafydd Durairaj and Max Schneider, noting that Durairaj "is expected to be a critical government witness."
On April 8, just before 5 pm, the 12 jurors and 3 alternates were selected. Inner City Press was there, observing from the gallery as Eisenberg whispered in the ear of one then another of his five lawyers, going over exhibits of text messages on the laptop before him. Judge Subramanian approved the defense's request to bring their client snacks, but deferred judgment on a number of exhibits.
On April 9 the trial began in earnest. Here were the opening arguments, thread.
On April 10, US expert witness Jain got grilled, amid more serious talk of DeFi, thread.
On April 11, the US evidence got more specific, and moved toward endgame, thread
On April 17, the defense closing and beginning of jury deliberation, thread
Watch this site.
Inner City Press will have more on these cases.
The criminal case is US v. Eisenberg, 23-cr-10 (Subramanian)
The stayed CFTC case is Communities Futures Trading Commission v. Eisenberg, 23-cv-173 (Schofield)
The Mango Labbs civil case is Mango Labs, LLC v. Eisenberg, 23-cv-665 (Liman)
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room
UNRWA Is Not Immune US Told Judge of UN Aid to Hamas Oct 7 Attacks now Walz to USUN
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
UN GATE / SDNY May 1 - The UN has been putting off a reckoning for 102 days, with nominations forwarded then retracted. On May 1, Mike Walz. Will this be it?
For the UN's role in Hamas' October 7 attacks, non-US citizen plaintiffs and estates on June 24 filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, Pierre Krahenbuhl, Filippo Grandi, Leni Stenseth, Sandra Mitchel, Margot Ellis and Greta Gunnarsdottir.
The individual plaintiffs are sued for, inter alia, their "constant travel to New York" to raise and get money and "their material support of Hamas' terror infrastructure." Also cited, for jurisdiction and venue, is "over one billion dollars from UNRWA's New York bank account in Manhattan that Defendants then caused to be delivered to Gaza in cash U.S. dollars to benefit Hamas."
Inner City Press, which daily cover the SDNY court in-person and the UN from outside the gate, banned from entry by SG Antonio Guterres, asked Guterres' spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming about the lawsuit, without any response per usual.
Nor have they responded to Inner City Press' June 19 application to enter the UN to ask these questions.
And now? Watch this site.
On February 18, the (new) SDNY wrote in, "The Government is currently reviewing the views." Letter on Inner City Press' DocumentCloud here
On April 17 DOJ wrote in asking for one more week to finalize. Inner City Press, still banned from the UN by Antonio Guterres, tweeted it.
On April 24 the Administration wrote in that it "has since reevaluated that position, and now concludes UNRWA is not immune from this litigation. Nor are the bulk of other defendants" - 10 page filing on DocumentCloud here.
The UNRWA case is ESTATE OF TAMAR KEDEM SIMAN TOV, BY HEIR-AT-LAW GAD KEDEM v. UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY (UNRWA) et al., 24-cv-04765 (Torres)
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room
Man Arrested for Colorado Takeover Worried About Safety Now 12 Arraigned More on Way
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 30 – Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, depicted taking over an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado then arrested in a sweep this week on Odgen Avenue in The Bronx, was presented on January 29 before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis. Inner City Press was there.
While Zambrano-Pacheco through his appointed Criminal Justice Act lawyer consented to detention, he expressed concern about his safety in jail. His lawyer cited press coverage and asked for an order directing the Bureau of Prisons to take precautions.
Judge Willis after some back and forth agreed to recommend to BOP that they be mindful of security concerns.
Jump cut to April 21 when more defendants in the now-indicted case were brought in, assigned CJA lawyers and detained on consent. One asked for consular notification to Venezuela. Inner City Press will stay on the case(s).
Jump again to April 23, when co-defendant Bello-Chacon, arrested at 8 am, was presented and detained on consent.
On April 28, another, Luciano, presented and detained on consent.
On April 30, a mass arraignment. Inner City Press was there, from the thread:
Judge: Only 12 of the 21 charged are here today. AUSA: One has previously been removed...Velasquez will be flown in in early May. Others are in Chicago, Florida and Oregon. Mata is in immigration custody
Judge: Why only him? AUSA: He'll be here in SDNY in 2 weeks. Judge: The charges include harboring and sex trafficking, guns and drug trafficking. All are detained - and all pled not guilty, ultimately waiving a public reading.
Afterwards: defense counsel shall jointly file a proposed order for appointment of a discovery coordinator by May 7, 2025. The government shall produce all discovery other than cell phone extractions by June 12, 2025. The parties shall file a joint status letter by June 18, 2025. The parties shall appear for a further conference on July 15, 2025 at 2:00 p.m
The initial case Inner City Press first reported in January was USA v. Zambrano-Pacheco, 25-mj-284 (Willis)
The overall case is now USA v. Zambrano-Pacheco, et al., 1:25-cr-76 (Vyskocil)
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
Greece Takes Over UNSC No Reply to Press on Ban by Guterres Nor Ukraine or UNRWA
by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
UN GATE, May 1 – Greece took over the UN Security Council presidency on May 1, 2025 - while Inner City Press is still banned from the UN, despite its June 19 application.
Inner City Press wrote to Greece's Mission to the UN: "This is a timely request that you allow Inner City Press to enter the UN and cover Greece's UNSC Presidency press briefing by Greek Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris on May 1, 2025 at 1 pm. I have questions to ask on what you will do this month about Gaza, UNRWA and Cameroon, DRC, Sudan, Ukraine, DRC and Rwanda, about the SDNY indictment involving Turkey's Mission to the UN as well as the coups in Gabon and Niger and the conflicts in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Yemen and Libya - and on ongoing cases of sexual abuse and exploitation by UN peacekeepers, and Missions' abuses in NYC, on many of which Inner City Press first reported - including its current scoops on Colombia, DRC, Libya and Somalia. And most recently South Sudan and UNECA.
Please note that Inner City Press and I participate in the WebEx briefings of, for example, the IMF: March 31, 2022 and since with new IMF spokesperson Sept 28, 2023:
The Greek Mission to the UN by May 1 at noon - an hour before its press conference - had not answered Inner City Press' request, or questions including on UNRWA and a new case of UN sexual abuse. We will stay on this.
Watch this site.
Inner City Press on June 19, 2024 again applied to the UN for access, as it gives 100s, to cover the UNGA week. Inner City Press has a NYC Press Pass and writes about the UN. From France and its UN Mission, nothing.
Watch this site.
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com