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By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 10 – Freddy McGrier was arrested in Harlem on July 28, 2019 with eleven small baggies of marijuana and Two Shot Derringer firearm. He pled guilty only to the marijuana charge, but on September 10 received a sentence of 24 months in prison. In the courtroom were his mother and brother, and Inner City Press.

  U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Gregory H. Woods, who recently sentence a Rockland County man who delivered deadly heroin to a 28 year old woman to 27 months, called this sentencing a hard one. He told McGrier's two family members he would be counting on them to help when McGrier gets out.

 Defense lawyer George R. Goltzer, whose sentencing submission quoted Clarence Darrow's summation in the Leopold-Loeb murder case, asked that McGrier not be assigned to the MCC. He said the MCC does not have the programs that McGrier will need. He also said that McGrier has no intention to appeal.

  In this case the U.S. Attorney's Office, while referencing the gun as a "Double Deuce" in AUSA Karin Portlock's sentencing letter, offered a plea deal with the gun missing, only the marijuana "with intent to distributed. Twenty four months and a full five years of Supervised Release...

Previously before Judge Woods: for prescribing oxycodone to at least 12 patients who did not exist, nurse practitioner Sharon Washington-Bhamre was sentenced to four months in prison on August 20 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Gregory H. Woods. She had signed a plea agreement with a stipulated range of 70 to 87 months, but the government in writing under a sentence below that. It came out to four months.

The government's sentencing submission, by Assistant US Attorney Elizabeth A. Hanft, has a number of redaction, so it is not easy to know the basis of the Office's push for leniency in this case and not others. Her lawyer's submission, with REDACTED PORTION typed in in bold letters, leaves in references to "Big Ken." Has the government identified this Ken?

 Judge Woods said that despite the trauma that was redacted, the Oxy was a serious abuse of trust, and he was not sure that the defendant would not recidivate, even if the felony conviction would make it difficult to do so as a nurse. Self-surrender was set for September 3 at noon.

Previously, before Judge Woods: Wander Reyes came to the US from the Dominican Republic three years ago and tried to find work. What he found, and on July 30 was sentenced to 30 months in prison for, was a conspiracy to try to rob 15 kilos of heroin using, among other things, a fake police car.

  Before Judge Woods, Wander Reyes emphasized that he is young and this just sort of happened. Judge Woods, usually moved by defendant's statements, took issue with this one. These things do not just happened, he said, mention zip ties and fake guns.

  Assistant US Attorney Celia V. Woods added an arrest of Wander Reyes for the rape of a 12 year old. Judge Woods said there has been no conviction so he would not give that weight. Wander Reyes' defense lawyer Zachary Taylor argued among other things that since Reyes will in all probability be deported after he serves his time in US prison, he won't pose a danger "to Americans."

  Still, even while Judge Woods said he expects an ICE detainer to be filed against Wander Reyes, he imposed three years of supervised release. Will New York State proceeding on the rape of 12 year old charge while Wander Reyes is in Federal prison, or wait? Or just forget about it? Inner City Press will continue to follow these cases. This case is USA v. Wander Reyes, 19-cr-192 (GHW).

Back on July 23 with the courtroom nearly full for a mere scheduling proceeding for Michael Avenatti, three stories beneath a man was pleading guilty and agreeing to 87 months in prison in an nearly empty courtroom. There were only Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald and her deputy, one Assistant US Attorney, defendant Polanco, his interpreter and his lawyer - and Inner City Press. The allocution was not as smooth as it might have been.

Asked to confirm that he was pleading guilty, Mr. Polanco said, "What else can I do?" This took some unwinding: you could go to trial.

He said in Spanish, Tengo que ir a juico, which means, I have to go to trial. But one could also translate it, I have to be brought to justice. He sold heroin and fentanyl to an undercover agent. And on November 5 at the same 2:30 pm he will be sentenced. Inner City Press will stay on this and other cases in the SDNY.

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