By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Feb 11 - A man charged with murder in aid of racketeering was brought without fanfare into Magistrates Court in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on November 16, 2022. Inner City Press was there, the only media in the Mag Court.
The case was still sealed, after the arraignment. But as said in the courtroom, the defendant's name is Lamar Williams. He wore a sweatshirt emblazoned "10 NINE 0" and mouthed words to his significant other in the gallery. His assigned Criminal Justice Act lawyer said he consented to detention - which he seemed not to immediately agree with.
The AUSAs - there were two of them - said he had been arrested on the morning of November 16, in Manhattan.
After the proceeding, their Office said "On August 11, 2013, WILLIAMS shot and killed Rasheed Barton in the vicinity of East 174th Street and Bronx River Avenue in the Bronx, New York."
The case, while still sealed, had been "wheeled out" to District Judge Buchwald.
On March 12, 2024 - Williams and his two lawyers were back before Judge Buchwald, to pick a trial date. One counsel has a trial elsewhere in September, so March 10, 2025 was chosen. The defense projected a four day trial; the US Attorney's Office (over?) estimated two weeks.
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In mid 2025 the case was reassigned to Judge Loretta A. Preska, who started the trial in February 2026.
On February 3, a bar owner Ms. Delgado was on the stand, testifying how she let "City" deal crack in her bar, for money, and how (and where) she hid his crack.
On February 4 witness Mr. Kid(d) described the defendant shooting a gun near a school, selling crack in Pennsylvania as well as explaining phrases like "on the strip" (E. 174 St and Manor Ave), "lapping up," and turning into a deal - a hit without money being paid, to rank up.
On February 5 the US put into evidence threats against that cooperating witness on a private Instagram account. Then a key witness, the (now retired) detective who collected Lamar Williams' water bottle from questioning in the 43rd Precinct, for DNA testing...
And on February 11, he was found guilty by the jury. Judge Preska set sentencing for May 19 at 10 am, and asked the Marshals / CSOs to have Williams' supporters go down in the elevators before the jurors. Two women, presumably family of the 2013 victim, also waited in the courtroom. The defendant, in a suit, was led away....
The case is USA v. Williams, 1:22-cr-600 (Preska)
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