| 27 Bronxites
Indicted on Valentine Ave Death Penalty
Mulled 1 Who Pled Asks 84 Months
By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE,
March 2รข€“ Angel Villafane,
previously convicted of a
felony, was arrested for
having a gun in incidents
starting at 97th Street and
Second Avenue then 110th
Street and the FDR (long
barrel firearm) On May 20,
2022 U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New
York Judge Victor
Marrero held a conference.
Inner City Press covered it,
the only media there. Jump cut to March
6, 2024 - now it was grown to
a 16 defendant indictment: "As
alleged, day in and day out,
this crew distributed
fentanyl, heroin, and crack
along several blocks on
Valentine Avenue." Inner City Press
went to arraignments including
that of Christopher Meadows,
who the prosecutor described
as an enforcer for the lead
named defendant (who was
detained on consent). Based on
medical conditions named in
court but which Inner City
Press will voluntarily not
report, he was ordered bailed
on $50,000 bond to his
mother's residence in
Soundview by Magistrate Judge
Valerie Figueredo. On the day
of appeal, the US agreed to
release. On March 20,
co-defendant Damel Marcus
asked for release on bail, in
Magistrates Court. Inner City
Press was there, thread Late in the day
came notice that the defense
has appealed to Part I, for
March 21. Inner City Press was
there, thread On October 4, a
bail review and a full-case
proceeding, thread On March 20,
counsel filed a critique of
slow production of discovery,
and of the scope of the
alleged conspiracy, now back
to 1993, "when many of the
defendants either were not
born, were in diapers or had
never even been to The Bronx."
On March 21,
Inner City Press went, from
the thread: Here in 15th
floor hallway, at least 50
family members. Defendants
were brought from MDC Brooklyn
by bus, not van. All the
family members who have come
can't fit in courtroom 15B.
Defendants will be split into
two groups... On April 2,
referring back to the March 21
conference, Paramus-based
retained counsel to
co-defendant Calderone wrote
in that she opposed Speedy
Trial Act time exclusion on
his behalf, not of another
co-defendant she was also
standing in for. On April 23
co-defendant Banks was
presented and detained on
consent; the next conference
is set for May 16. On May 15 the US
Attorney's Office wrote in
that two trials should be set,
March 2 and May 4, 2024,
saying "should the Government
be directed to seek the death
penalty," motions would ensue.
Directed from Main Justice? Inner City Press
went to the 15th floor
courtroom on May 16. The
courtroom was entirely full,
with defendants in the jury
box, CJA lawyers at the tables
and in the front row. They
spoke in term, some more
recently in the case. Judge
Marrero floated the idea of
having another judge preside
over one of two trials. The
AUSA was feisty, saying one of
the defense lawyers were
verging on being "disruptive."
She joked back, as to pushing
back a trial date, "I wish I
was that busy." Several
defendants laughed. On December 2,
another guilty plea in the
case: " Juan Calderon.
Defendant detained. Sentencing
set for 3/2/2026 at 10:00 AM
before Judge Victor Marrero. On January 7
after a long bail fight live
tweeted by Inner City Press
Johana Alcantara who the US
says confessed to killing
"Gino" with a hot shot in
exchange for 20 bags of
fentanyl worth $200 was
ordered freed to drug
treatment. But on January 8
it was stayed: "ORDER as to
Johana Alcantara. The Court
schedules a bail modification
appeal hearing in the
above-captioned matter for
January 16, 2026, at 12:00 PM.
The Court additionally STAYS
the Release Order entered on
January 7, 2026, by the
Honorable Ona T. Wang, United
States Magistrate Judge for
the Southern District of New
York, pending the January 16
hearing (Signed by Judge
Victor Marrero on 1/8/26)" Jump cut to March
2 when co-defendant Calderon
who pled guilty asked for an
84 month sentence. More details on X
for Subscribers here
and Substack here Watch this site. The case is USA v. Villafane, et al., 1:21-cr-93 (Marrero)
***
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222 NY NY 10013 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis. Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City
Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com |
Saturday, March 7, 2026
27 Bronxites Indicted on Valentine Ave Death Penalty Mulled 1 Who Pled Asks 84 Months
