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By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 10 – While many even most cases in the Magistrates Court of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York are sealed or have case numbers given only later, on September 10 Magistrate Judge James L. Cott ordered detained a man named Williams, in a shirt that said "Evans" on the back, citing his prior gang affiliation.

  But which gang? And what docket number? It was a day without any New Presentments list in which corporate law behind a paywall seemed to be the major focus in the SDNY. And so, also without docket number given, was the case of US v. Vargas, prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Nicholas Chiuchiolo like the murky 2005 case of US v. Rodriguez. In this case, Vargas was detained on consent, with the matter moving to Judge Ronnie Abrams. Inner City Press will try to follow it there - if and when it can learn the docket number, without any New Presentment notices. 

  A case on September 6 that wasn't sealed involved Ari Teman who allegedly deposited counterfeit checks into a bank account in Florida, then transferred and withdrew $4000 of the funds from the same bank at a branch in Manhattan.  Back on June 20, 2019, by coincidence before the same Magistrate Judge who eight weeks later released Teman on a $25,000 personal recognisance bond, NYPD Detective Daniel Alessandrino swore out that Teman for the scheme used his company GateGuard Inc, based in New York, NY (212-203-3714). Why Teman thought he could deposit over $200,000 in funds from companies which exist but had not authorized the payment is not known. His lawyer is Joseph A. DiRuzzo of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with a notice of appearance first digitally signed, then re-filed upside down. Inner City Press will continue to follow this case - watch this site.

In the still-sealed 19-cr-627 the four defendants, each with their own lawyer - three CJAs and presumably one Federal Defender - each got a different bail package, with two remanded until they meet the conditions. Two were ordered to stay two blocks away from Amsterdam Avenue between 155th and 159th Street. Two can't be so ordered, because they live there. They were given home confinement.

One, whose name we will not publish, is a high school student. Portrayed by Assistant US Attorney Brett Kalikow as the leader and supplier was Keith Green, who seemed to get the Federal Defender. She said his shoulder had popped out and could the Marshals only handcuff him to the front. Granted. Second was Isaiah Ward of Metropolitan Avenue, released on his own signature and later a $50,000 bond to be signed by two financially responsible people.

Fourth was Lucian Rogers with an outstanding bench warrant. Judge Netburn urged him to take care of it, releasing him on his own signature perhaps for this reason.  All four were given a control date before District Judge Victor Marrero on October 18, with apparently more defendants coming in. Tracking the case in PACER, however, is problematic given the seal. More on Patreon here.

Inner City Press will continue to cover this and other SDNY and 2nd Circuit cases - watch this site, and there is more on Patreon, here.