In Other Media-eg New Statesman, AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT,  Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

By Matthew Russell Lee, Periscope, Photos

SDNY COURTHOUSE, August 21, updated – A man pleaded guilty on August 21 to transporting cocaine on a stateless vessel but neither his Federal Defender nor the Assistant US Attorney prosecuting him would tell the Press even the case number.

  It happened at the murky Magistrates Court of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Inside, Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein was asking how the U.S. has jurisdiction over the vessel, the case and this defendant. AUSA Elizabeth A. Hanft said there is letter from US Coast Guard Officer Samuel D. Irwin in the case file. But what is the case number?

  The Federal Defender assigned to the case, or to this specific defendant, Clay Kaminsky asked that his client not be transferred to Valhalla because he would not be able to make telephone calls to Venezuela from there.

  Afterward just outside the courtroom Inner City Press asked Federal Defender Clay Kaminsky, What is the number of this case?

  He said, I have no comment.

  Inner City Press clarified it only wanted the number of this public case (which he is paid public money to defend).

  "And I said I have no comment," Kaminsky repeated.

[Update: on August 22 awaiting a proceeding before Circuit Judge Richard J. Sullivan this part of the story was resolved, Inner City Press is glad to report.]
Inner City Press asked AUSA Elizabeth Hanft, who is prosecuting the case. She also declined to give the case number. We'll have more on this.
 
  It turns out it is a case that Inner City Press covered on May 2, 2019, see below, before Judge Paul G. Gardephe. In that proceeding, Kaminsky said "We would like to resolve the case as soon as possible." Then AUSA Hanft told Judge Gardephe, "As would the government, Your Honor. We'll continue to discuss the best outcome with Mr. Kaminsky."

  The case is United States v. Leandro Gonzalez et al., 18-Cr-601 (PGG) and the man pleading guilty was the lead / named defendant Leandro Gonzalez. There are several other defendants, not represented by Federal Defenders. We'll have more on this.

   On August 21 there had been a change of plea scheduled for Judge Gardephe's courtroom on the 7th floor of 40 Foley Square. But when Inner City Press went there, his courtroom door was locked. Apparently the plea was delegated without notice to the Magistrates Court, where Magistrate Judge Gorenstein is on duty this week.

From May 2, 2019: Ten defendants charged in connection with an unflagged vessel carrying 624 kilos of cocaine in international waters were on May 2  brought before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Paul G. Gardephe. Some, from Suriname, spoke only Dutch. Some connected to the case were await extradition from Croatia while one of the accused had extradition to the U.S. denied in a court in Spain, where that decision is being appealed.

  The First Step Act made the so-called safety value applicable to these maritime offenses. Judge Gardephe asked the many defense attorneys if their clients were ready to proffer to the government. One of the lawyers explained that his client is from Suriname, this is so different, so it will take time. Another complained of the difficult of reviewing confidential discovery material in Valhalla, and in the MCC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hanft assured Judge Gardephe that she will calling the wardens and doing all she can. The overall case is USA v. Gonzalez et al., 18-cr-00601 (PGG).

  Not counting the two defendants presumably on their way from Croatia, and the lucky thirteen who may remain in Spain, the ten defendants actually in Judge Gardephe's courtroom on May 2 are being split into two separate cases. The first, with six defendants, will meet again June 20. The second, with four defendants -- Argemiro Zapata-Castro, Shervington Lovell, David Cardona-Cardona and Steven Antonius -- will not meet again until August 16, when one of the lawyers will be out of the country and another at an anti-death penalty training in Santa Clara. Could should an issue be the basis for Spain's refusal to extradite? 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

Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017

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 2006-2019 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com for