| Remand After
Wire Fraud Guilty Verdict as Risk of
Flight to Nigeria Awaits SDNY US Marshals
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Thread
Pod
BBC
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SDNY COURTROOM
Exclusive, Oct 26 –
Two wire fraud
defendants were convicted
Tuesday night and ordered
remanded to jail - but there
were no U.S. Marshals present
for nearly an hour after the
order.
Inner City Press
was there: thread,
podcast.
U.S.
District Court for the
Southern District of New York
Judge Loretta A. Preska
presided over the jury trial
of Oluwaseun Adelekan and
Temitope Omotoya from October
20 to October 26.
The two
defendants were on pre-trial
release on $250,000 bond, and
came to the trial each
day.
The jury was
deliberating on the afternoon
of October 26, so Inner City
Press went up to SDNY
Courtroom 26A around 4:20 pm.
There was a wait
more than an hour until, near
6 pm, Judge Preska said, "I
think we're in business. The
jury has a verdict."
A court
reporter came upstairs, as to
two more of Judge Preska's
staff. But, Inner City Press
noted, no U.S.
Marshals.
The jury
foreperson passed the verdict
sheet to Judge Preska's clerk,
who read out "Guilty" to each
count, from wire fraud through
money laundering to identity
theft.
The jurors
confirmed this was each of
their decision, and Judge
Preska said, Have a good
night, I hope you don't get
rained on.
Then the
Assistant U.S. Attorney asked
for remand: to send the two
now convicted defendants to
jail, even before the January
27 sentencing.
The two
defense lawyers argued against
it, one saying that far from
being a flight risk, his
client is afraid of going back
to Nigeria.
Judge
Preska said the two had not
shown they are not flight
risks, and ordered them
remanded. But how?
There was
pause, then two then three
then four Court Security
Officers came int the room,
apparently in case one or both
defendants sought to make a
run for it.
A fifth
CSO arrived and asked the two
to empty their pockets, to
take off their belts and shoe
laces. Judge Preska kindly let
each man use the landline
phone on the bench to call
their families.
More
silence. The prosecutors left.
Only the two defendants, three
defense lawyers, five CSOs and
Inner City Press remained in
large Courtroom
26A.
A CSO began
asking each man, How old are
you? How much do you
weight? 160, one said.
The other was
heavier.
It was
helpfully explained to Inner
City Press that this was a
unique case, with a 6 pm
verdict on defendant who were
not in custody during the
trial.
Finally
near 6:45 pm two US Marshals
came in, albeit without the
normal belt of handcuffs. They
escorted the two men into the
holding cell and elevator.
It was
over, at least until January
27. Speedy Trial Act time was
tolled as to other
co-defendants. Inner City
Press will stay on the cases,
#CourtCaseCast.
The overall case
is US v. Adelekan, et al.,
19-cr-291 (Preska).
***
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