| Man Who Fled
Fraud Scheme Charge Down Fire Escape Is
Ordered Released to Self-Install GPS
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
Feb 17 – In an alleged fraud
conspiracy stretching from
Ghana through The Bronx to
North Dakota, on February 17
Federal prosecutors announced
announced the arrests of
FAROUK APPIEDU, FRED ASANTE,
CELVIN FREEMAN, LORD ANING,
SADICK EDUSEI KISSI, and
FAISAL ALI, a/k/a “Clarence
Graveley,” for charges in
connection with their roles in
a fraud and money laundering
conspiracy based in the
Republic of Ghana involving
the theft of tens of millions
of dollars. Criminal
complaint on
Patreon here.
FREEMAN and ALI were arrested
earlier on February 17 in New
Jersey and were set to be
"presented in Manhattan
federal court later in the
day." Inner City Press live
tweeted it, here
-- Freeman was ordered
released, after having fled
law enforcement in the
morning:
Celvin Freeman is
accused of getting $100,000 in
Ghana fraud -- but today he
says he has only $2500, gets
publicly paid CJA lawyer.
Magistrate asks
if Judge Rakoff has set a next
date. No, AUSA says, he's
waiting to learn the status of
other arresteees.
AUSA: Government
is seeking detention. CJA
lawyer: We are making a bail
application.
Assistant
US Attorney: Mr. Freeman tried
to flee from the agents this
morning. They knew he was
inside, but he refused to
answer. After 5 minutes, they
breached the door - and found
a window open with blinds
moving. He was on fire escape.
AUSA: Mr. Freeman
was in his socks and tried to
climb down the fire escape. He
has no legal status here. He
had another person's driver
license and debit card. He
said it belonged to his
cousin, then to his biological
brother. There is a risk of
flight.
Defense
lawyer: He is married to a US
citizen. They are separated
and she lives in Newark, New
Jersey. Whether that is
because of money problems, I
don't know. "In terms of the
brother claim, in Africa, if
you live with someone you call
them your brother." (!)
Defense
lawyer: The government
unfairly mentions another
person who cut off their GPS
bracelet and fled. [Inner City
Press surmises this was the
case before Judge Cote that it
covered]. We offer up his
travel documents, no new bank
accounts, home detention...
AUSA: This
morning, law enforcement was
at the door announcement
themselves as law enforcement
- yet he fled. So he is a risk
of flight. We know what goes
on in his mind based on that.
Judge: Pre-Trial Services
recommends release. Why isn't
GPS monitoring enough?
AUSA:
Electronic monitoring is not
perfect, if they flee at the
right hour. He attempted to
flee this very morning, down a
fire escape. Defense lawyer:
Maybe the Assistant US
Attorney wouldn't, but if my
door was knocked on loud at
6:15 am l might be scared
& flee
Pre-Trial
Services: We stand by our
recommendation. Judge: I
believe there are condition
that will reasonably assure
this defendant's return to
court. $500,000 bond co-signed
by three financially
responsible persons.
Pre-Trial
Services
chimes in to
suggest that
defendant be
allowed to
self-install
his own GPS
monitoring
bracelet.
How long it will
be until this bail
determination is put in PACER
is anyone's guess.
Criminal
complaint on Patreon here.
This case is US
v. Freeman, 21-cr-88
(Rakoff)
ASANTE and ANING
were arrested in Virginia, to
be presented in the United
States District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia
in Alexandria, Virginia.
APPIEDU was previously
arrested in Queens, New York
on October 18, 2020.
KISSI was previously arrested
in Fargo, North Dakota on
February 5,
2020.
FAROUK
APPIEDU, 35, of the Bronx, New
York, FRED ASANTE, 35, of
Fredericksburg, Virginia,
CELVIN FREEMAN, 47, of East
Orange, New Jersey, and LORD
ANING, 28, of Woodbridge,
Virginia, were each charged in
Indictment No. 21 Cr. 88 with
one count of conspiracy to
commit wire fraud, one count
of wire fraud, and one count
of conspiracy to commit money
laundering, which each carry a
maximum sentence of 20 years
in prison; one count of
conspiracy to receive stolen
money, which carries a maximum
sentence of five years in
prison; and one count of
receipt of stolen money, which
carries a maximum sentence of
10 years in prison. The
case against APPIEDU, ASANTE,
FREEMAN, and ANING is assigned
to U.S. District Judge Jed S.
Rakoff.
***
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