Man Charged with Threats to Former DOJ Official Ranted so Detained Waiting for Butner

Man Charged with Threats to Former DOJ Official Ranted so Detained Waiting for Butner by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 10– A man charged Federally with threatening a former DOJ official was up for a competency hearing on January 8 before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jed S. Rakoff. Inner City Press was there, the only media in the courtroom, and began to live tweet, here Defendant: When I am in heaven, you quacks and fraud, I liquidate each of you. My intellectual property does not come from Internet, my brains only. Each of you run from the international laws, RICO [Federal Defender is sitting next to his client, looking down]  [After half-hour reading and tears] Judge Rakoff: I can see you are unhappy. Why do you resist treatment? Defendant: Because I am not mentally ill. I want my money back. You don't have the information. Judge Rakoff: For your happiness, would you accept help? No.   Defendant: You don't know me. Judge Rakoff: Anything from Government counsel? AUSA: I would like that statement to be redacted. Defendant: I want every word to be public. If you have to redact you just have a con scheme.   AUSA: I just wanted to have name(s) redacted. [Mark Carney, PM of Canada?] Judge: Under 18 USC 4241(d), I find that the defendant is currently incompetent to stand trial.  Judge Rakoff: ... the defendant's ranting - Defendant: You don't want all parties present- Judge: Turn off the mic Defendant: The BOP reports - Judge: He's continuing but I'll ask the reporter to just take down what I am saying Defendant: One simple statement-  Defender: You denied me contact - this ain't a court Judge: Please remove him. [US Marshal lead him into holding cell] Judge: The defendant continued with outbursts that were ever-more vituperative.  Judge: Given the grandiose schemes of the defendant's system, the doctor's report says. I find this a very sad situation. He is not without intelligence, in the IQ sense. But his own internal demons are so consuming that he suffers from delusions   Judge: Not competent to stand trial, by overwhelming evidence. He is committed to the AG who will hospitalize him for treatment in a suitable facility. If they recommend medication and he refuses, then the Court will consider involuntary medication.  On March 9 the US Attorney's Office wrote in that "Mr. Baker has been designated to FMC Butner. However, due to be space availability, he is on a waiting list to be transported to that facility, and his transport date could not be estimated as of this filing." So where is he? The case is USA v. Baker, 1:25-cr-387 (Rakoff) *** 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 500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, 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